“I can say I was born in a chocolate factory,” Carlos Rios tells CHS.

Rios and Valeria Calles have opened the first ever Rey Amargo in the United States here on Capitol HIll, bringing the respected chocolate maker’s flavors to E Pike in what the couple hopes will be the start of a family of cafes around the Seattle area, and, maybe eventually, beyond.

“In 1939, my grandfather started the factory in Mexico,” Carlos Rios said. The chocolate maker opened his first store in Jalisco near Guadalajara in 2009.

Chocolate based drinks are the focus at Rios’s Rey Amargo, the first shop in the States, and the eighth counting the originals in Mexico.

In addition to drinking chocolate, there are assorted bars, stone ground chocolates, and chocolate covered fruit and coffee beans to choose from along with sandwiches, milkshakes, and more. You can view the menu here. “We’re here to help you find your favorite chocolate,” Rios said.

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CHS first told you about plans for the new neighbor to Pike/Pine’s Life on Mars as part of our look ahead to the 14+ new bars and restaurant openings to look forward to around the Hill in 2021.

The Seattle shop opened last week — “the original idea was to open in April, but, you know, 2020,” Rios said.

So far, the hot cocoa made with water instead of milk has been very popular. According to Rios, this is the traditional way of drinking hot chocolate in Mexico.

“Many years ago, we didn’t have milk. The Aztecs and Maya didn’t have sugar, so they mixed with water, cacao, and other spices.” Milk and non-dairy options are available for beverages, but because Rey Amargo’s chocolate only uses three ingredients — cacao, sugar, and cinnamon, — their chocolate is vegan.

“I’m sure that if you try our chocolate, you will feel a different taste of the hot cocoa than you are used to drinking,” Rios said.

Stone ground chocolate is popular in Mexico, with many brands available, but according to Calles, the Mexican brand (called “Rey”) “is very famous” and recognized as a “very good quality brand of chocolate.”

Everything about the chocolate is Mexican, “our cacao is from Tabasco” Rios tells us, “every tablet is handmade in Mexico” and all the treats offered in the Capitol Hill store are also offered in Mexico.

“Our beverage menu is the same as in Mexico, but we’re also trying to figure out what people like here.”

Rios is the CEO of the retail stores and manages the Capitol Hill location while his family in Mexico operates the chocolate factory.

The first step in what the chocolate making family hopes is a new world of growth has started in Seattle thanks to the city’s good vibe and healthy demographics.

When his family looked to start a business in the United States, Rios and Calles traveled from Tijuana to Seattle, looking for the right location.

“When we arrived to Seattle, we saw that the people were very open to new flavors, to new people.”

They also said the Mexican Consulate that moved to Capitol Hill in 2018 and trade organizations were helpful in establishing a foothold here.

And they also liked Seattle’s drizzle and grey.

“We love this weather,” Rios said. “In California they have many hot months. Here it’s not the same. Here the people have a little more time to take a break, drink coffee. Seattle has one of the most coffee shop per capita and that’s good news for us. We love Seattle.”

The cool weather isn’t just good for business, but it’s good for the chocolate as well.

So far, the customer response has been warmer than the weather. “We are feeling very welcome from the community and the people here,” Rios said. “If you have flyers, we can put in my shop. This is something that we don’t see in Mexico. Maybe in Mexico the people are very warm, but here the people are warmer. I am surprised by that.”

Rey Amargo means “king of bitter,” but Rios and Calles are actually very sweet.

You can pick your choice of sweet or bitter chocolate at their new shop at 722 E Pike from Wednesday through Saturday from 8 AM to 7 PM and 9 AM to to 7 PM on Sundays. Learn more at reyamargo.us.

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Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.