I don’t know about anyone else, but in my mind, one of the best things God ever put on the Earth is the cocoa bean. Since roughly 3300 B.C., people have been domesticating and consuming this incredible seed. It began with ancient South American cultures, long before anyone else ever touched it, according to scientists who recently discovered ancient pottery containing pure Cacao DNA.
As someone who spends his days documenting the rich agricultural tapestry of the Appalachian Highlands, I have found evidence that this humble seed has reached the pinnacle of its perfection. This seed, so long used by mankind, yields a rich butter, powder, and liquor that can be transformed in thousands of ways. It brings comfort, energy, and joy to cultures around the world. And right now, it is being worked into absolute magic down in Limestone, Tennessee.
A Divine Discovery
I discovered my evidence while visiting Boone Street Market. My wife pointed out a shelf lined with incredible, tempting treats from the Cocoa Bean & Butter Chocolate Co. The Coffee with Dark Chocolate and the Tart Cherry barks were the first to catch our eyes.
It didn’t take long to realize we hadn’t bought nearly enough. This stuff is as close to divine as anything ever made by the hands of mankind. It is creamy, deeply flavored, and unapologetically rich without even trying to be too sweet. The flavor combinations just pop.
Because we live up in Bristol, Boone Street Market isn’t exactly our corner bodega. But a couple of weeks later, we made the trip specifically for this chocolate. This time we stocked up, filling a bag with an array of flavors—Dark Chocolate Coffee, Tart Cherry, Sea Salt Caramels, and Dark Butter Toffee. We learned quickly that there is simply never enough of this heavenly treat. It was obvious from the very first bite that the chocolatier behind these creations didn’t just pick up a spatula yesterday. See, there is chocolate, and then there is this stuff.
Meeting the Chocolate Magicians
We started wondering who the people were who created this beautiful product. The beauty of local markets is that you can actually get to know the folks who produce what you eat. We kept an eye out and soon saw a social media post about an upcoming market event where Cocoa Bean & Butter would be set up: Jonesborough’s Market & Mingle event on April 25. We made sure we were there.
They were the second booth from the entrance. It didn’t take us long to meet these chocolate magicians, and the biggest surprise was seeing that the operation is an entire family affair. We met Joel and Kelly Simkus and their kids, all of whom are a part of this enterprise.
Three Generations of Craft
To understand the sheer sophistication of their flavors—like the Lemon Shortbread White Chocolate, the Almond, or the Salted Hazel Nutty Goodbar—you have to understand their lineage. This is a three-generation operation. Joel grew up in this world. Back in the early 1980s, his mother, Luanne, began making amazing chocolate creations in the family’s home kitchen. She and Joel’s father, John, went on to run a chocolate shop in Michigan for 30 years.
When Luanne decided to retire, Joel and Kelly brought the equipment down to East Tennessee. “We got the equipment, you know, to make it and everything,” Joel told me. “So, I grew up in this world.”
In 2017, they launched Cocoa Bean & Butter with a mission to continue the family tradition of crafting handmade, all-natural treats without artificial flavors or preservatives. The recipes are anchored by that decades-long legacy. “Some of them are family recipes from my mom,” Joel explained. “The toffee is my mom’s recipe. With the caramel, we tweaked her recipe a little bit. But still, that’s based on her recipe.”
Innovation Based on Listening
But the family doesn’t just rest on old classics; they innovate by listening to their community. Take the Sweet Potato Chip bark, for example. “A customer came up and told us that, at Christmas time, they would always get full-dip chips,” Joel recalled. Realizing that hand-dipping individual chips wasn’t feasible for a busy kitchen, Joel engineered a brilliant workaround. “I said, ‘We don’t have time to dip individual chips.’ So, we made this.”
The result is a dark chocolate bark studded with the savory crunch of sweet potato chips. Other creations, like the Roasted & Salted Pistachio with Dark Chocolate, Rocky Top Tortoises, and the mysterious Special Pete, round out a product line that borders on artistry.
The Local Hustle and Where to Find Them
Today, Joel still drives a school bus while managing this growing business. “We’re still a very small business, you know,” he said. “It keeps us busy. With making it, delivering, and all that.”
That delivery hustle keeps their products stocked across the region. You can find them at The Generalist in Johnson City, the Greenhouse in Greenville, and the Boone Street Market in Jonesborough, as well as at local farm stands like Faithful Fields Farm in Johnson City and the newly added Freedom Farmstead in Bristol.
It’s a genuine family ecosystem where craftsmanship clearly runs in the blood—even one of their sons was there at the market alongside the chocolate, selling his own beautiful leatherwork and hand-carved wooden spoons.
This isn’t mass-produced standard candy you buy at a big-box store. This is craft. If you have the chance to taste what the Simkus family is making, do it. But take my advice: buy two bags.
