The Mast Brothers, Hipster Chocolate Kings, Are Closing Two Factories

The Mast Brothers may have the most controversial (and expensive) bar of chocolate on the market right now. Over the past few years, the bearded Brooklyn entrepreneurs have admitted to using industrial-grade chocolate and fought back against claims of overpriced cocoa fraud. Now they just announced that they will be closing their Los Angeles factory and shop after just a year in operation, as well as their London location, to focus entirely on their new 65,000-square-foot facility in Brooklyn's Navy Yard.

Forbes broke the news of the shuttering of the 6,000-square-foot chocolate facility that looked more like an art gallery than a factory. It opened in May 2016 to a hesitant reception in the West Coast cocoa community.

After all, the wounds from Texas blogger Scot Craig's scathing investigative takedown of the acclaimed chocolate geniuses — he charged them with passing off industrial chocolate as homemade bars — were still fresh. The Mast Brothers remain perhaps the most recognizable names of the bean-to-bar movement, which emphasizes ethically sourced ingredients and customized products rather than mass-produced by a corporation.

The company's employees in London and Los Angeles will be offered jobs in Brooklyn, and the Brothers will continue to strive for success — they're hoping to reach $100 million in chocolate sales this year.