When Isabel Garcia Nevett talks about chocolate, it isn’t just about flavor: It’s about history, family, and the immigrant journey. Together with her sister Susanna, she has spent more than a decade transforming this passion into an award-winning Miami chocolate shop now recognized among the best in the United States.
The sisters grew up in Venezuela, a country known for producing some of the world’s finest cacao. There, chocolate wasn’t just a treat; it was part of daily life. “We are a cacao-producing country, but also one of the first to make chocolate in the country where the cacao is grown,” Isabel explains. “So we ate a lot of chocolate growing up, very good quality chocolate.”
But when the sisters relocated to Miami — Susanna about 15 years ago, Isabel a couple of years later — they discovered that Americans consumed chocolate very differently. What Venezuelans considered everyday quality, people in the U.S. treated as a luxury item. Bridging that gap became the foundation of their business.
From home kitchens to international awards
Their first venture, launched soon after arriving in Miami, was called Cacao Art. Like many immigrant entrepreneurs, they started small — working out of their kitchens, selling at farmers markets, and setting up tables at chocolate shows. Step by step, they built a reputation. Recognition came when their creations won international chocolate awards and Good Food Awards, followed by a feature in the Miami Herald.
As their profile grew, they graduated from their home kitchens to a small commercial space. By 2018, they were ready for a bold new step. The sisters rebranded as Garcia Nevett Chocolatier de Miami, putting their Garcia family name front and center. Garcia reflects their parents’ surname, deeply rooted in Latin American culture and fitting for Miami. Nevett, meanwhile, adds an elegant, French-sounding flair.
“It was a whole journey, our brand, our business model, everything,” Isabel recalls. “We decided we wanted to do something that spoke more to how much we gave of ourselves to our business, and that we were so proud of our products we put our name on it.”
That same year, they opened their first storefront in South Miami. The neighborhood’s mix of cosmopolitan flair and Latin American influences made it an ideal fit for what Isabel calls their “affordable luxury.”
Weathering challenges and growing stronger
Still, launching a high-end chocolate business in the U.S. came with challenges. Many customers were baffled by prices, comparing handcrafted bonbons with mass-produced grocery store candy. Isabel and Susanna realized they had to educate people — teaching them that fine chocolate, like wine or coffee, is a craft product to be savored and appreciated.
“We were kind of riding the wave of the bean-to-bar chocolate movement in the United States where chocolate is becoming more and more a fine food,” Isabel says. “We’ve been educating our customers, helping them see that it’s something you can enjoy and appreciate, not just as a gift.”
Presentation became just as important as taste. In Venezuela, high-quality chocolate was for everyday enjoyment. In the U.S., packaging and gifting mattered. The sisters leaned into this, creating beautiful boxes that elevated their chocolates into coveted presents.
By the time the pandemic hit, Garcia Nevett was already established as a local favorite. Their kitchen, located inside the South Miami shop, allowed customers to see the artistry firsthand. But as demand grew, space became tight. Two years ago, they moved production to a larger dedicated facility while keeping the storefront as their headquarters. This summer, South Miami honored Garcia Nevett with a proclamation.
This small business has continued to thrive, growing on average 15-20 percent year-over-year. Along the way, Garcia Nevett has racked up awards, most recently named the No. 3 chocolate shop in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice. The passion fruit bonbon, a gold medal winner at the Chocolate Alliance Awards, is a customer favorite, even among people who claim they don’t like fruit in chocolate.
Learning the business side and seeking help
Neither Isabel nor Susanna came from a business background. Susanna studied architecture in Venezuela, bringing her design eye to chocolate, packaging, and store layouts. Isabel, who studied international politics and worked as a journalist, contributes communications, PR, and storytelling skills. Together, they handle every aspect of the company, from production to client outreach.
“We joke half a brain and half a brain makes a whole,” says Isabel, “but we feed off each other in a great way.”
To fill in any knowledge gaps, the sisters have leaned on business education programs. Isabel completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program during the pandemic, and this fall she joined the 12-week Santander Cultivate Small Business Program, which supports food industry entrepreneurs with education and training, networking and capital grants.
“These programs are as much as you put in, you get out,” Isabel says. “What’s interesting about the Santander program is that it’s focused on food, so everyone’s in the same boat. Even though our businesses are different, it’s nice to share the same challenges.”
Now she is working with Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within Florida International University’s College of Business. SBDC at FIU offers no-cost business consulting to small businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
Isabel says her SBDC at FIU consultant, Mark Mungenast, is a great sounding board. He has given her new ideas, introduced her to software and technologies she wasn’t familiar with, and has been quick to offer up helpful connections, such as an SBDC consultant who is an expert in finance and accounting.
“What makes Garcia Nevett stand out is not only her artistry as the #3 chocolatier in the U.S. but also her dedication to growing her business with intention. Her reputation gives us so much to work with, and I’m proud to support her as she continues to expand her store sales and reach new chocolate lovers,” says Mungenast, who specializes in sales, marketing, business development and strategy.
Looking ahead
For Isabel and Susanna, growth isn’t about scaling into a massive chain. Their goals are more personal: strengthening their team of mostly immigrant Latina women, many of them mothers, by offering better benefits and stability; expanding corporate sales, which are especially profitable; and exploring opportunities for airport placements or pop-ups in New York.
“We just want to make sure it’s a viable business that survives,” Isabel says. “We don’t want to take over with 10 million stores — we want a strong business that maintains quality and creativity.”
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Website: https://garcianevett.com
Social media: Facebook and Instagram
