Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli
Ghirardelli Square (1817-1894)
Ghirardelli Square, recognized as the first successful adaptive reuse project in the United States, boasts a history that spans over a century and extends across three continents. This specialty retail and dining complex, now home to various shops and restaurants, began as a chocolate factory established by Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli. Born in 1817 in Rapallo, Italy, Ghirardelli apprenticed as a confectioner in Genoa, developing a keen interest in the trade from an early age. At 20, he ventured to Uruguay and later sailed around Cape Horn to Peru, where he became a coffee and chocolate merchant.
James Lick, Ghirardelli’s neighbor in Lima, left for San Francisco in January 1848, carrying 600 pounds of Ghirardelli’s chocolate. He arrived just thirteen days before the first shiploads of gold-rush pioneers. Enticed by his friend's stories of the gold rush, Ghirardelli joined Lick a year later and opened a general store in San Francisco, offering mustard, coffee, spices, and, naturally, chocolate.
From the mid to late 1800s, Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory relocated four times before the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company settled into the Pioneer Woolen Mills on North Point Street, the current location of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory & Soda Fountain and Ghirardelli Square.
In the 1960s, the chocolate manufacturing operations were sold and moved to San Leandro. Concerned that Ghirardelli Square might be demolished, a group of San Franciscans purchased the property. They transformed the old factory into a complex of unique shops and restaurants, blending modern retail and fine dining with the charm of old San Francisco. The project officially opened on November 29, 1964.
Today, Ghirardelli Square continues to enchant visitors with its vibrant retail offerings, while upholding Ghirardelli’s legacy as a global trendsetter. In 1982, the owners successfully applied for National Historic Register status, securing the preservation of Ghirardelli Square for future generations.
Consistently at the forefront of American retail innovation, Ghirardelli Square remains a benchmark for restoration complexes across the country, inspiring developments such as Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston and Baltimore’s Harborplace.