The Ghirardelli chocolate factory is actually in San Leandro, not very far from where we live. I can't imagine what it would be like to live nearby, it smells like melted milk chocolate from across the street. The factory has a little factory store where they sell chocolate squares, bars, broken pieces (like at Trader Joe's), etc. at apparently lower prices than at the market. I'm not sure because I haven't actually done the price comparisons. Right now and until Saturday (Oct. 30th) they are having a sale on their chocolate squares, they are $2.50 a pound, half of what they usually are. We're planning to give them out for Halloween.