ABOUT US
We are a family owned business that makes Peruvian and South American desserts, offering a unique selection of handcrafted chocolates, cookies, and more — all made from scratch.
We are a Peruvian-American family who thrives on challenges. My husband, Willy Sassarini, is a business administrator with a background in banking and logistics. I’m Ana María Salazar, a hotel administrator with experience across various industries. When we arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina, we found it very difficult to find Peruvian or South American desserts. So, in 2009, we started making some for ourselves and sharing them with friends. They loved them — and that’s how our home-based bakery adventure began.
In 2010, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer. Despite the diagnosis, my husband, our two young children, and I stayed strong and worked together as one team. As our desserts gained popularity, we decided to take the next step and officially founded CHOCOANA LLC.
The name "ChocoAna" came about because we originally started by making filled chocolates. In Peru, these are called chocotejas. We needed a name that represented us. Since my name is Ana and I was the one making the chocolates, the idea of “ChocoAna” — short for “Ana makes chocolates” — came to life one night. People unfamiliar with chocotejas soon began referring to them simply as ChocoAna — Ana’s chocolates.
Family is the base of everything we do at CHOCOANA. We treat our employees and customers as part of our family
OUR VALUES
Courtesy
Treat internal and external customers with politeness, kindness, and consideration.
Integrity
Be consistent in your thinking, speaking, and acting, maintaining honesty and morality.
Responsibility
Assume the consequences of our actions and fulfill our obligations and our word.
Service
Collaborate and maintain teamwork to achieve excellent service in each situation.
Gratitude
Recognize and value the good things we have and the people who help us.