Mitch Siegert, owner of Truman Chocolates, has taken on many culinary endeavors, from his time at the Culinary Institute of America in New York to working on the Food Network channel alongside names like Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray, Siegert said. Now, he intends to remain within the comfort of his hometown shop, going strong for 19 years.

The family-owned chocolate shop has been crafting assorted artisanal chocolates far beyond the reaches of Brazos County since its opening in 2006, according to the Truman Chocolates website. 

“I never set out to do this, ever,” Siegert said.

Siegert earned two degrees from the Culinary Institute of America — one in Culinary Arts and  the other in Baking & Pastry Arts — never having a specific interest in chocolate along the way. It wasn’t until he noticed the groundbreaking work going into colored chocolate that he wanted to do his own experimenting.

“The way we were making [chocolates] was really new. There were only maybe four or five people that were making colorful chocolates,” Siegert said.

Siegert said he was interested in discovering the allure of chocolates that didn’t have the signature brown look.

“I didn’t care about anything else, I wanted to make chocolates that were shiny and colorful and that people were drawn to,” Siegert said. “That’s basically what got me here.” 

Siegert expected Truman Chocolates to be wholesale oriented, meaning the shop would be focused on filling large orders to be shipped to hotels and businesses out of physical reach. As it turns out, he was wrong.

“When we opened up, we were just blown away by the retail side of it, just people wanting to come in and get chocolates, and so that’s where we’ve been ever since we opened,” Siegert said.

In December of 2020, The Texas Bucket List helped put an already-booming Truman Chocolates on the radar of Texas residents. Hot cocoa bombs had recently been introduced to the shop, and Siegert said he was working overtime to fill orders for the holidays.

“We couldn’t keep up no matter what we did,” Siegert said.

After visiting and creating hot cocoa bombs in the Truman Chocolates kitchen, The Texas Bucket List host Shane McAuliffe declared that the treats make a visit to Truman Chocolates worthwhile, according to The Texas Bucket List website. 

“[The episode] didn’t air until the 15th of December, and when it aired we didn’t get caught up on orders until the end of January,” Siegert said.

The exposure from The Texas Bucket List caused customers to flock to the doors of Truman Chocolates two hours before the shop even opened, just hoping to get their hands on Siegert’s unique treats. 

“Our best sellers are the Crème Brûlée, Red Velvet, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cupcake, Key Lime, and S’more,” Siegert said. 

Truman Chocolates offers 36 chocolate flavors and six unique bars, including a few that taste more like a full dessert than a bite-sized chocolate. Although the chocolates boast incredible flavors, Siegert said that  the chocolates are so beautifully crafted that people don’t want to eat them.

“Most people come in and they’re just blown away by the fact that they don’t look like chocolate,” Siegert said. “They’re shiny and they’re colorful and that’s pretty much the draw.”

Unlike other industries, Siegert sees the artisanal chocolate industry as more of a family than a group of competitors. Siegert believes that the chocolate industry poses more as inspiration than something to keep up with, he said.

“There are very few people that work in kitchens that want to keep everything a secret anymore,” Siegert said. “It’s more enjoyable to see other people trying to do things that you do.”

Two key factors that have fueled Truman Chocolates’ success are the support of Siegert’s family and his faith, he said. His 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son are the reason he keeps going, and with Truman Chocolates going steady, Siegert hopes to find more time outside of the kitchen to watch them grow up.

“I love my family, they take care of me,” Siegert said. “I can’t do anything without them.”

Siegert’s faith can be plainly seen in his kitchen, from the Bible verses and reminders to connect with God on the whiteboard above his desk to the way he speaks about the source of his perseverance.

“Everything that has ever come good in my life has come from my faith,” Siegert said. “That’s what gave me the strength to not worry about failing.” 

Siegert also believes having employees whom he regards as family has made a significant impact on both the business’ success and its environment.

“Having people that care about the way things come out matters so much,” Siegert said. “That’s really what makes working here so great.”

Siegert says he has two employees who have stood out for their dedication in the last two years. Juliette Moffett has worked at Truman Chocolates for three and a half years and is bound for Sweden, where she’ll learn how to make authentic Swiss chocolate, she said.

“She can do everything that I can do, and she’s going to Sweden to learn how to really make chocolates,” Siegert said. “We can’t wait to hear about that.”

Bailey Ray has worked at Truman Chocolates for two years and has plans to attend the same New York culinary school that Siegert attended.

“She just got accepted,” Moffett said. “I’m gonna be so sad when she leaves, but I’m so excited for her, too.”

With worldwide shipping, Truman Chocolates has reached both near and far, and Siegert is proud of the impact his family has made within the walls of the small shop. Fulfilling orders to places like France and Rome has reminded Siegert that bigger is not always better.

“I kept everything as small as I could and I made every mistake you could possibly make,” Siegert said. “And we made it to the other side of it.”