ORIGEN CHOCOLAT: From Online Store to Connected Retail

Project Overview

ORIGEN CHOCOLAT is a Puerto Rican premium chocolate brand founded by certified chocolatier Sari Méndez. From cacao to finished bonbon, Sari is deeply involved in the process, creating chocolates inspired by the nature and flavors of Puerto Rico.

I was introduced to Sari through Humberto Torres, Creative Director at Pitirre Studio. Their team developed the brand identity and creative direction, while my role was to translate that brand into a functional Shopify experience.

Objective

The original scope was to develop ORIGEN CHOCOLAT’s online store, structure products and collections, and configure the system behind the storefront within a tight timeline.

For handcrafted bonbons, inventory is especially important. Quantities are limited, production takes time, and products can sell quickly, so having a clean system for products and inventory was a key part of the project.

The Opportunity

Just days before launch, Sari was invited to participate in a four-day fair at Plaza Las Américas and needed a point-of-sale system.

Coming from traditional retail—and having started my own career in that same mall—I immediately understood the value of the opportunity. The priority quickly shifted from online launch to preparing ORIGEN CHOCOLAT for a physical retail experience.

Instead of treating the booth separately, we brought it into the same Shopify ecosystem.

Strategy

The storefront was built as an awareness site, product catalog, online store, and point of contact for larger and corporate orders.

Products, collections, inventory, customers, and sales were structured inside Shopify, and the setup was extended to Shopify POS for the event.

This meant every sale at the booth was connected to the same product and inventory system used by the online store, giving Sari a clearer picture of what was selling and what was still available.

Results

Four days later, ORIGEN CHOCOLAT had completed a successful retail event, its Shopify store was live, and every booth sale was already registered in Shopify.

Sari could immediately start understanding which products sold best, how quickly inventory moved, which price points performed well, and who her customers were.

The value of those sales didn’t end with the event. They became real data that ORIGEN CHOCOLAT can use to make better decisions about production, pricing, inventory, and future opportunities.

Working With The Client

This project became much more than launching a Shopify website.

Sari came into it with a beautiful product, a clear point of view, and an incredible dedication to her craft. My role was to make sure the system behind that momentum could keep up with it.

The storefront is live. Products, inventory, POS, customers, and sales are connected. And ORIGEN CHOCOLAT now has real data to build from.

 

“Via a recommendation we commenced our efforts together and am thankful for the opportunity to work alongside a professional such as yourself.

You gave it your all and it shows! Shared your contact info with a few vendors and I truly hope they reach out. Gracias gracias gracias!” - Sari Méndez