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Alexandre Costa was 17 years old when he received an order for 2,000 Easter eggs. The delivery gave rise to Cacau Show, today the largest fine chocolate chain in the world.
When Alexandre Tadeu da Costa was just 17 years old, he helped his mother resell chocolates by catalog in São Paulo. In 1988, an opportunity arose that could change his life: a customer ordered 2,000 Easter eggs of 50 grams. The problem appeared soon after. The supplier factory informed that it did not produce eggs of that weight.
Instead of canceling the sale, Alexandre decided to manufacture the chocolates himself, even without having a factory, equipment, or production experience. With the help of a confectioner who made chocolates artisanally, he worked for three days in shifts of up to 18 hours to fulfill the commitment. The delivery was completed on time and the profit, approximately US$ 500, became the initial capital of the company that would give rise to Cacau Show.
The first big order almost ended the dream before it even started
At the time, Alexandre was still a student and acted only as a reseller. Excited about the possibility of closing an important sale, he accepted the order without imagining that the manufacturer did not produce Easter eggs in that specific size.
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Instead of giving up, he bought raw materials, molds, and hired a woman who made homemade chocolates to help him with production. For three days, he practically lived in the kitchen until he completed the entire order. According to the company’s own official history, this episode marked the birth of Cacau Show.
The business started in a small borrowed room
With the money obtained from the first order, Alexandre rented a small space in the Casa Verde neighborhood, in the northern zone of São Paulo. In the early years, he himself produced part of the chocolates, visited bakeries, bars, and small markets to sell the products, and personally made the deliveries.
In interviews, Alexandre often states that this phase was essential to understand customer behavior and learn how the chocolate market worked in Brazil. The company also highlights that it grew without resorting to external investors or bank loans in its initial phase.
The first store was only opened 13 years later
Although the company was founded in 1988, the first Cacau Show store was opened only at the end of 2001, in the city of Piracicaba (SP). The following year there were already 18 standardized stores. Then came 46, 130, and 230 units in rapid succession. In 2008, Cacau Show surpassed the American Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and became recognized as the largest chain of fine chocolate stores in the world in terms of number of units.
Over the years, Cacau Show expanded its operations into different segments. In addition to chocolate stores, the company opened the Bendito Cacao Resort & Spa in Campos do Jordão, acquired the Playcenter group in 2024, and announced the development of Cacau Park, a theme park in Itu (SP), a project announced with an estimated investment of around R$ 2 billion. The company also operates five factories and produces thousands of tons of chocolates per year to supply its franchise network.
Today Cacau Show has more than 4,000 stores
According to information released by the company itself and recent reports, Cacau Show has surpassed the mark of 4,000 stores in operation in Brazil, consolidating itself as the largest chain of fine chocolates in the world in terms of number of units.
The expansion is also reflected in financial results. In 2025, the parent company reported annual revenue close to R$ 4.5 billion, driven by the growth of franchises and business diversification.
The order that seemed like a problem gave rise to one of the largest franchises in the country
The order for 2,000 Easter eggs could have ended Alexandre Costa’s dream right at the start. Instead, it became the starting point for a company that went from an improvised artisanal production to a national operation with thousands of stores, millions of customers, and new investments in tourism, entertainment, and food.
More than three decades after that first order, Cacau Show remains one of the most well-known Brazilian retail brands and one of the largest cases of organic growth in the country’s franchise system.
