OUR PROJECT

Who We Are... We are producers of all-natural, artisan chocolates & confections in San Diego, California. We are team-driven, green-focused, & aim to support our community. Check out our bio for a full list of our company mission statement & pledges. Take a look at our website to see our blog, menus, & complete chocolate/confections line.

Our Growth... Will launched Eclipse after finishing his MFA in Sculpture from SDSU more than eight years ago. Incremental growth & personal reinvestment over the years has proven successful, but we have quickly outgrown our original cafe/production environment. We have already begun to break ground on our new location (four times larger!) which will feature onsite chocolate production, retail chocolate counter, full restaurant kitchen, & private dining room. Most excitingly, we'll be expanding our weekend Sweet & Savory Brunch to daily service all week long. While we have collected private loans to fully finance our general build-out, we have turned to our fans to generate extra funds with which to purchase new confectionary equipment.

Our Expansion... Our new facility is already underway with the combined efforts of our local friends at Point of Departure Architecture, & Blueprint Contracting. We have fully funded the complete build-out, permitting, & new restaurant equipment, but we have our eyes on a a few key pieces that will greatly advance our production capabilities, most notably a chocolate enrobing line. Picture thousands of our signature Exotic Salted Caramels gingerly placed onto a belt, slowly passing through a chocolate curtain before getting a hand garnishing of delectable sea salts after emerging from the other end. This incredible, albeit expensive piece of industry equipment will greatly increase our ability to keep up with demand!

How You Can Help... Back our project by pledging funds for a reward... or many rewards! Your support will be delicious for us all! Share this project with your friends on your favorite social media site & help us bring our craft to the masses. Like us on Facebook, or join our mailing list to get all the exciting updates on our expansion!

OUR REWARDS

The Full Details... Take a look at these tempting treats! You might just want them all! Take a look at our FAQ section at the bottom on how you can pledge for multiple levels & about the bonus items you can get if we reach our "Stretch Goals". Don't forget to check the $100 level to see how you can win a LIFETIME SUPPLY OF CHOCOLATE!

$5 Pledge: PROMO REWARD. Have you seen this hilarious sticker? We're only printing 1000 of them. Check out our "Stretch Goals" to see how your $5 pledge can grow to include $25 of delicious extras!

$10 Pledge: DINING/PROMO REWARD. You'll get the sticker x2, plus beverage service for 2 at the new Bistro (choice of Drinking Chocolate or cafe beverage). Its the perfect treat for you & a friend to discover our new location!

$15 Pledge: PROMO REWARD. Have you seen our 5th Anniversary chocolate bars? They are a Limited Edition print with shiny foil stamping! Choose this level & receive a collectable "printers proof", signed & numbered by Will, suitable for framing (8.5x11) & the sticker. Don't forget those Stretch Goals... a chocolate bonus worth $22 would make this a pretty amazing deal!

$20 Pledge: DINING/PROMO REWARD. You'll get the sticker x2, plus dessert/beverage service for 2 at the new Bistro (choice of Drinking Chocolate or cafe beverage AND choice of Creme Fraiche Cupcake). Another nice option to showcase EC to a friend!

$25 Pledge: PROMO REWARD. The sticker is nice, but a teeshirt is better! At this level, you'll be getting both! You choose the pre-shrunk size: S, M, L, XL, XXL.

$50 Pledge: DINING/PROMO REWARD. We've got some pretty exciting things in store for those attending our EC Bistro Grand Opening Reception! Tray passed yum-yums, a costume party & other mini-contests, & plenty of other treats are in store for the public. If you pledge at this level, you'll receive 2 VIP tickets to the exclusive Kickstarter Pre-party as well as 2 chocolate goodie bags ($10 value, each) & 2 stickers. If you pledge extra monies for multiple levels & want these tickets, too, make sure you select this level at check-out to reserve your spot!

$75 Pledge: CHOCOLATE REWARD. Who want's chocolate? How about an assortment of hand-made confections including truffles, salted caramels, caramel rocky road, & salted toffees?!? This is our first pledge that includes FedEx Ground shipping. Pick up your order in person & we'll give you some extras for helping us reduce our eco-footprint.

$100 Pledge: CHOCOLATE/PROMO REWARD. Here it is... the pledge level you've been salivating over! Its our cafe's 5th Anniversary & we have dreamed up two amazing Limited Edition chocolate bar flavors with the help of our fans. You'll receive one case split between both flavors (6 of each, 12 total) as well as the signed/numbered collectors print. Have you heard about our Platinum Ticket promotional? At our Grand Opening Celebration, we will be awarding many exciting prizes including a LIFETIME SUPPLY OF CHOCOLATE! Check out our blog for full details on the big event. Back this level multiple times & we'll make the deal even sweeter! We'll give you extra sets for ONLY $50. Want 2 cases? Pledge $150. Pledge $200 for 3 cases, $250 for 4, & on! That's a lot of chances to get a Platinum Ticket! These will make great Xmas gifts, too!

$250 Pledge: DINING REWARD. Perfect for making an impression for a birthday or other special event, at this level, your reward will be a 3-course Sweet & Savory Brunch with beverage service (choice of courses, choice of Drinking Chocolate or other cafe beverage) for six guests at our new Bistro. You can redeem this anytime brunch is in service after we're open at our South Park location. Each guest will also receive a Large chocolate bar & small box of Exotic Salted Caramels.

$500 Pledge: PROMO REWARD. Need a regular chocolate fix? At this level you'll receive a 1-year subscription to the EC:Penumbral Club. Nine times a year (to coordinate with holidays & other fun times throughout the seasons) you'll receive a package of delectable confections. Each shipment has a retail value of $35-40 as an assortment of our most popular & seasonal treats (sorry, no special requests or substitutions). Price includes FedEx shipment, but if you pick up your orders in person, you will receive EXTRA goodies for helping us reduce our eco-footprint. You may request individual shipments to be sent as gifts to alternative US addresses, providing they are within the climate parameters of Ground shipment.

$1000 Pledge: DINING REWARD. Our special event dining concept, Small Plate, is a monthly series of EC-inspired 3-course tasting dinners. Support us at this level by joining our EC:Umbral Club, a year of delicious dining (11 dinners, we take December off) & we'll throw in a FREE Starter Plate ($12 value) at every event! Dinners are always on Saturdays, with fixed dates each month. If you cannot make a particular date, you will receive a credit for a future dinner, or you can send 2 friends to take your place! Menus are always unique, with vegetarian options, & reflect seasonal themes or ingredients. Beverage service (choice of Drinking Chocolate or cafe drink) & sales tax is included, but gratuity is not. Guests will also receive an autographed copy of each menu.

$5000 Pledge: DINING REWARD. Hey big spender! You'll be treating 35 guests to a private 3-course tasting dinner in the new Bistro dining room. The menu will be designed by Will to reflect your culinary interests. Each guest will also receive a chocolate goodie bag ($30 value). You can schedule your event anytime between March 1 & October 30th in 2013. Beverage service (choice of Drinking Chocolate or cafe drink) & sales tax is included, but gratuity is not. Guests will also receive an autographed copy of each menu.

STRETCH GOALS!!!

If we raise more than $25,000... We will have enough funds to purchase new caramel-cooking equipment. EVERY backer will receive a FREE Creme Fraiche Cupcake ($4 value). Dine in only.

If We Raise More Than $45,000... We will have enough funds to purchase a new IPad POS cashiering system. EVERY backer will also receive a FREE Drinking Chocolate or Mocha ($5 value). Dine in only.

If We Raise More Than $65,000... We will have enough funds to build our side patio at the new Bistro (additional outdoor seating for 20). EVERY backer will receive a voucher for a FREE 3-course Sweet & Savory Brunch ($16 value), redeemable in person after the launch of the new location. That's $25 of extra yum-yums in total if we reach this threshold!

A Lifetime Supply of Chocolate?... We're celebrating the 5th Anniversary of our current cafe with the release of two fan-inspired flavors, both of a limited edition of 4000 chocolate bars. Better yet, we're giving back to our fans by hiding something VERY special under the wrapper of eight of them. Tremendous things are in store for those who find our Platinum Tickets! You can probably imagine what comes next, but rest assured one lucky ticket-bearer will be awarded with a LIFETIME supply of chocolate. See our blog for full contest & event details.

Concerning Other Costs... We appreciate your support & think all consumers should be educated about where their monies go. Only about 10% of total raised funds go to Kickstarter & associated credit card processing fees, but if your pledge includes FedEx Ground shipping, our cost on that is an average of about $15. We strive to offer the highest value possible, but sometimes shipment is expensive. While we ship chocolate all over the US, it cannot exceed 85 degrees without being compromised, so often we need to upgrade orders with insulating materials, ice packs, & even splurge for Next-Day Air shipment. If you live in an area of exceptional heat, we may need to ask for extra funds to expedite your shipment. If you can help us save resources & reduce our eco-footprint, we will happily give you 2 FREE Drinking Chocolates ($9 value) for picking your order up in person... so bring a friend! If you pledge funds for multiple goals with redundant shipments, we will happily send along a FREE Large chocolate bar ($7 value) for each unused shipping credit.

FAQS???

How much is a lifetime supply of chocolate? Our Grand Prize Winner will be awarded with a case of Large chocolate bars of their choice every month for 20 years (shipment not included). That's more than an ounce of chocolate each day (the amount equal to our Small chocolate bar). We value this award in today's market just shy of $20,000. Many other prizes will be awarded during our Grand Opening celebration, so anyone can join in the festivities & walk away with delicious treats!

Are the 5th Anniversary Bars available only through Kickstarter? We are crafting a limited edition of 4000 of each flavor, available via Kickstarter as a pre-sale, then available for general retail at our cafe starting on November 1st. We will continue to sell our inventory until it is exhausted. The eight Platinum Tickets can only be found within these very special chocolate bars.

When's your new location opening? We will permanently close our current location after Xmas & take the holiday break to move into our new home in South Park. We hope to be back up & running in the first week of January.

When's the Grand Opening Reception? Our Grand Opening will be full day of exciting chocolate events held on January 27, 2013.  The exclusive Kickstarter Pre-party begins with tray-passed treats at noon, followed by general events & entertainment open to the public, & culminating with the Platinum Ticket Finale when one of our lucky ticket-bearers will WIN the lifetime supply of chocolate!

What's a Stretch Goal? Our full expansion is a doozy, so we're doing it in phases to lower our risks as a quickly growing company. Help us raise extra funds to expedite our expansion & we'll happily share the wealth with delicious bonuses for all! All stretch goals are limited to ONE PER BACKER.

How do I select more than one Pledge Level or multiples of a Pledge level? Simply pledge the amount it would take to cover the cost of all the desired levels. After the project ends we will send out a survey to all backers. At that time you will be able to select the specific levels you have funded.

What are the details on shipment? If your pledge includes FedEx Ground shipment, your chocolates will be sent when listed on the delivery date. We will add updates here to exact dates as those shipment dates near. If you're unlucky enough to live in an area that experiences warm weather during the winter (local temperatures of 85+ degrees), we may need to hold your shipment for a break in the weather unless you can send extra funds for expedited delivery. Please keep in mind that if your chocolate exceeds 85 degrees in transit, it might melt! If you proceed with Ground shipment against our advice, we cannot guarantee the integrity of your order. If you can pick up your order in person or if your pledges create redundant shipping credits, we'll happily treat you to 2 FREE Drinking Chocolates ($9 value) or a FREE Large chocolate bar ($7 value) for each unused credit.