Inspired by international development, social impact, and just really good chocolate, a few University of Arkansas alumni pulled together their savings in 2014 to buy the first pieces of chocolate making equipment that would eventually become Markham & Fitz. We believed that a simple chocolate bar could make a world of a difference: with flavor for customers, and with higher wages for farmers.

Markham & Fitz was founded on two principles: celebrating people and restoring the earth. From the beginning we've believed that even the smallest change can make lasting impact. From choosing to source cacao transparently, to prioritizing recyclable & compostable packaging, to integrating social impact and sustainability practices throughout the day to day, Markham & Fitz exists to celebrate people and make really good chocolate that leaves the planet better than we found it.

Markham & Fitz now distributes chocolate to 39 states, 6 countries, and was featured in 100 Anthropologie stores around the United States in Spring of 2020. In April 2020, Markham & Fitz was included in The O Magazine for their sustainability issue. The company was selected as Women Owned Small Business of the Year by the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce in 2020. At 29 years old, owner Lauren Blanco was selected as a Tory Burch Fellow, and was recognized in Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's Forty Under 40, the same year the company's Ooh La Lavender bar won a Good Food Award. 

We've recently received an International Chocolate Award for our No. 1 Fan bar, which was also featured in a Vogue Popup Shop at New York Fashion Week alongside our Smoke & Brulee bars.

Our R&D Peanut Butter + Strawberries bar was a finalist in the Good Food Awards for 2024, and our team won Best Bite for Chef's in the Garden.

We strive for excellence in everything we do, and aim to make our chocolate available to as many people as possible across the United States.