Eat, Drink, Savor: The DeBrito Chocolate Factory turns apples into art

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The DeBrito Chocolate Factory store, home to a bountiful selection of candied Granny Smith apples, has reopened for the first time since the pandemic. A must-see confectionery, this Hollister landmark carries over 40 hand-crafted dipped and decorated apples, along with a variety of chocolate-covered fruits, nuts, honeycomb and toffees.

The family of co-owner Juan Hernandez vowed to maintain the DeBrito legacy following his death on June 20. Hernandez was a long-time fixture at the Hollister Farmers’ Market and kept the factory going during the difficult COVID years.

“He took on the brunt of the work,” said his wife, Tina Hernandez. “Everything from being the janitor to taking care of the accounts receivable. He was packing apples and taking care of shipping. There wasn’t anything he wasn’t doing.”

It was a difficult time for the family and the business. Slowly bringing back employees, the Hernandezes had to manage with only six employees, where there had been 16 before.

“He did all he could,” said his son, Patrick Hernandez. “I think it was a big struggle for him, and we would not still be here if it were not for some of the sacrifices he made.”

DeBritos was founded in 1993 by Alene and Arnold DeBrito. Before opening the business, Alene, a banker by trade, made chocolate-dipped apricots and butter almond toffee from her grandmother’s recipes for friends, Arnold’s employees and customers of his tractor repair business.

“People kept asking if they could buy her candies,” Tina said, “and everything grew from there. Arnold cut his warehouse in half and made a little chocolate factory here for her.”

Alene hired Tina to work in the store in 2012, and she quickly became interested in learning more about the business.

“I asked about shipping,” Tina said. “I asked about fundraising. I pretty much asked about everything. It was all very exciting and new. Soon, she took me to trade shows and county fairs.”

In 2016, Alene decided to sell the business. When one prospective buyer backed out, Tina and Juan bought the business from her.

“She was in retirement mode,” Tina said, “so the loss of the sale was very upsetting to her. She called me into the office and asked if we would buy it. I didn’t think that was possible, but I talked to Juan about it. He said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.”

The Hernandezes maintained the integrity of the business, using the same recipes and sources for ingredients and, most importantly, the same employees. 

“We were afraid people would say, “Oh, it’s different now,’” Tina said. “We tried to keep it under the radar—the only thing that changed was instead of Alene sitting upstairs doing all of the office work, it was now my husband and me.”

According to Patrick, Juan was a private and humble person who tended to stay in the background and let Tina be the business’s public face. 

“He didn’t want to be interviewed for any of the stories about us,” Tina said. “I told him we must do it for the business; it will generate more business. And he would say, ‘Well, you do it then.’ He was just too busy all the time.”

(I can attest to this reticence. I tried for three years to get him to talk to me for an article in this series, calling him and talking to him at the markets. It got to the point where he would see me coming towards his booth and would shake his head and wave me away.)

Tina, Patrick, and Patrick’s wife, Beth, are now managing the business and are only realizing how difficult it will be to fill his shoes.

“It was a very big concern of his to keep this place running,” Patrick said. “He was worried about the employees and knew DeBritos had a place in the community by helping with fundraisers. His illness progressed quicker than we imagined, and we thought, “Let’s just take this off his plate.”

DeBrito fundraisers started when Alene’s daughter, Kathy Larson, was a swim coach and needed new uniforms. They are now a particularly important part of the business—and to the organizations selling the apples, which receive 28% of the sales. As many as 3,000 apples might be sold in a single fundraiser.

“We have to limit the number we do each week,” Tina said.  “We have some fundraisers that only do the minimum of 150 apples—we can do four or five of those a week. But we do check how many they sold last time. If we have three fundraisers, and they sold 2,000 apples apiece last time? We can’t make 6,000 apples in a week!” 

The limit to the number of apples DeBrito’s can make in a week is tied to the quality of the production. Only Washington State Granny Smith apples are used. They are dipped into house-made caramel heated to over 200° and then dipped again in melted Guittard chocolate when the recipe calls for it. 

Everything is done by hand, down to covering the dipped apples in various ingredients, then dipping them again or swirling them in more melted chocolate. The finished product is amazingly uniform, which is the careful work of very experienced employees.

“They have gifted hands, for sure,” said Tina. “They’re used to doing around 700 a day. Before COVID, we had more staff and could make up to 1200 in a day.”

While still adjusting to losing Juan, the Hernandezes are bracing for the holiday season and the reopening of their on-site store. About 80% of their business is in-person sales, and by reopening the store due to popular demand, the family has just started to get into a rhythm they hope to continue. 

“I’ll try to be here as much as possible,” Patrick said, “but my mom and wife will be here most of the time. We’re a small family business that continues to try to reach out to the community. We are hoping the community keeps supporting us in return.”

Confections from DeBrito Chocolate Factory

Gluten-Free Halfway Heyday – After I toured the factory, I was allowed to select an apple to take home. I wanted something basic, so I chose this caramel apple half-dipped in white chocolate. (Milk and dark chocolate versions are available, too.) I ignored the serving instructions: to let the apple sit for an hour outside the refrigerator before cutting into it because I thought I might get a cleaner edge for the photo.

I gave it half an hour, took the photos and then tried it. I liked how cold and crisp the apple tasted; the caramel had a great flavor and nice texture. I let it sit for the rest of the suggested half hour, and the caramel became a little gooey but much richer and deeper in flavor. It’s a coin toss to me, but the bottom line is that the apple had an amazing sharp-sour flavor and the caramel was perfect at both temperatures.

This is kind of the training-wheels version of a DeBritos apple, I suppose, but it really showed the quality of the ingredients. There are many exotic apples, but I would grab this one again just because of the simplicity.

Gluten-Free Toffee – I am a big fan of butter almond toffee, and this one is very flavorful and seriously rich. The crunch of the toffee meets the crunch of the apple, and it works very well. A note on the “gluten-free:” DeBritos is very aware of food allergies—gluten and nuts—and keeps products with possible allergens in a separate area in the production area.

Gluten-Free Strawberries & Cream – I was unsure what to expect from this one, a caramel apple ribboned in yogurt and dusted with dried strawberries. It turned out to be my favorite of the five. The strawberries offer a very light but very distinct accent to the apple—you almost smell it more than you taste it—but this one turned out to be my favorite.

Gluten-Free Californian – I bought four apples at the DeBritos stand for our weekly reporters’ meeting. This one stood out to me because of the chili-lime spice, which sounded like a tasty combination. It didn’t disappoint—the spice went very well, with the lime highlighting the already citrus taste of the apple

Apple S’Mores – Exactly what you would expect: a caramel apple with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. I got the dark chocolate version, but it is also available in milk and white chocolate. Sweet, sweet, sweet, but a lot of fun.

Gold Rush Bar – This is absolutely a must-try. There’s no apple here: the bar is made of finely diced apricots and almonds swirled in caramel and wrapped in dark chocolate. It crumbles easily into bite-sized pieces. It’s a treat: you get chewy, crunchy, and fruity all in one bite, and they harmonize beautifully. These bars are one of DeBrito’s big sellers, after the apples, and it is easy to see why. If you are at the factory store, grab an apple—of course—but definitely grab one of these, too!

DeBritos apples are available at the Hollister Farmers Market on Wednesdays, by mail order, and at the DeBrito Chocolate Factory at 160 Briggs Road in Hollister. (Drive forward through the yard to reach the store located in the warehouse.)

The factory store is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and alternating Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Sept. 28. Hours may vary depending on staff availability, and the family recommends calling 831-637-0164 for the current schedule.

Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.

BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.

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