The smell of cacao mixes with coffee and wafts through the air. The hissing sound of an espresso machine is accompanied by slow music from the speakers. Chocolate makers clad in hair nets and aprons are hard at work, as patrons nearby watch chocolate-making process.
Welcome to Cocoa Legato.
In an era where many businesses are hyper-focused on a single product, Aaron Lindstrom, founder and executive chocolate maker at Cocoa Legato, has built an establishment that provides a full range of sensory experiences.
“I’ve always played music, and I’ve always made chocolate. And so this was my idea, if I can merge the two things I know–chocolate, music–into one,” said Lindstrom.
Located in Greenwood, Cocoa Legato opened its doors in April 2025. In the eight months since, it has carved out a unique identity distinct from the average café.
The place functions simultaneously as a bean-to-bar factory, a bustling café, and a live music venue. This combination of art and business is not happenstance; it is deeply rooted in Lindstrom’s identity. Born in Colombia, South America, and adopted by a family in the States, Lindstrom connects his craft to his heritage by primarily sourcing cacao beans from Colombia.
“I speak some Spanish,” said Lindstrom. “I’m not fluent, so it’s a lot of a personal thing for me if I want a connection to my heritage, and the most immediate way I can do that right now is with chocolate.”
This carefully crafted experience is further expanded upon in the fusion of Cocoa Legato’s other discipline: Music. Each chocolate bar is molded with a signature vinyl record design and accompanied by a music pairing, accessible through a QR code that links to a specially picked song by a Seattle-based musician.
“You have the taste, you have the smell of the chocolate, you have the feel of the chocolate on your tongue, you have the visual of a cool-looking chocolate bar of beautiful packaging, ” said Lindstrom. “The one thing that’s missing is the auditory experience, and since my whole life is music, I want to add that in there.”
Lindstrom’s path to becoming a chocolate maker seemed like destiny. While he is a professional musician, specializing in guitar, with experience in several different projects, he initially came across chocolate while transitioning from a musician job in Oakland to a barista position at a chocolate company. After that first introduction to chocolate, Lindstrom worked as a factory tour guide, which then evolved into direct involvement in chocolate, as it became a full-blown passion.
This enthusiasm sparked an idea for Lindstrom regarding Cocoa Legato’s business model while he was working at the now-defunct Theo Chocolate. After Lindstrom collaborated with Pearl Jam to create a chocolate bar, he said the reception was overwhelmingly positive.
“I just watched everyone freak out, they saw their favorite Seattle band and their favorite Seattle chocolate company, mixed,” said Lindstrom. “So that’s what gave me the idea that my normal thing, chocolate and music, is unique to everyone else, so maybe I can work with that.”
Lindstrom is a strict follower of the “bean-to-bar” method, which requires oversight over the entire chocolate-making process, from the raw cacao bean to the finished product.
While many well-known companies are “chocolate melters,” meaning they purchase liquid cacao in bulk to mix with flavor additives, Lindstrom likens his process to making brownies from scratch over a stove rather than using a machine, and prefers involvement in every step of the process to individualize Cocoa Legato’s flavor.
His personal investment in sourcing the cacao was significant. Though Lindstrom’s childhood was spent in the Greater Seattle area, he chose Colombian cacao as a way to connect to his heritage. Lindstrom said the bean he ultimately selected – a fudgy, cherry-toned flavor from Chigorodó, Colombia — is currently exclusive to Cocoa Legato.
“l started through contacts I have in the industry, reaching out and asking all these chocolate Colombian cocoa farmers and distributors to send me samples,” Said Lindstrom. Then it was just me and my kitchen for months at a time, making batches every single day, trying [them], and I kept going until I found the right one.”
This focus on the process is shared by chocolate maker Andrew Garza, who followed Lindstrom from Theo. Garza, whose family originates from Mexico and Spain, sees chocolate as a universal food.
“Even if you don’t like chocolate, no matter your background, you’ve either heard of it, seen it, tasted it at some point,” said Garza. “It brings people together.”
For Garza, the bean-to-bar process is a necessary fact of chocolate making, as it highlights the direct involvement that has gone into each chocolate bar, from growing the beans to making the final product in Cocoa Legato’s factory.
“If you sit and start thinking about that, you have a little bit more of an overall respect for the chocolate itself, which is neat,” said Garza. “It’s my little nerdy way of being like, ‘Oh my God, there’s so much in this simple two and a half ounce bar of chocolate.’”
After it closes in the evening, the soundproofed cafe transforms into a music venue some nights, going beyond QR codes to provide a physical platform for local artists to showcase their work. Carly Besterman, an audio engineer who works with the cafe, emphasized its commitment to community when hiring her. After witnessing the booking manager using a digital mixer while waiting for the bus right outside, Besterman decided to send a cold email, pitching herself to the establishment. Now, she’s coming up on her fifth month at Cocoa Legato.
“It’s been a bit of a missing thing for Greenwood to have an all-ages music venue that really has the intention of being supportive and uplifting artists,” said Besterman. “They don’t care about how many subscribers you have, or followers you have, or who’s gonna bring in the biggest audience, I feel like that is the thing that you can’t find elsewhere.”
Lindstrom views Cocoa Legato as part of a mission to bring his two greatest passions to a local space, platforming Seattle’s very best. He hopes to deepen its cultural connections, bringing new foods such as fried plantains to the Cocoa Legato kitchen.“I just love this city so much, and I want to be able to amplify good chocolate, good chefs, good musicians.”
Preethika Makineni is a third-year student pursuing a B.A. in Journalism and Public Interest Communications with International Studies at the University of Washington. With an interest in creative disciplines, she hopes to pursue a career in arts journalism.
