Sweet tradition: Bay Area chocolatier Ghirardelli holds tasty holiday event

Sophie Mulder, 9, hopped off the table where she was sitting and skipped into Ghirardelli Chocolates in San Leandro on Saturday, eager to get chocolate chips for cookie baking at a bargain price.

The Oakland resident and her parents Caspar and Vangie were part of a steady stream of customers waiting in line outside Ghirardelli’s warehouse and headquarters on 139th Avenue during the company’s annual holiday discount sale.