Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Azar.
Hi Christine, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Beirut, Lebanon and moved to Oregon in 2001. Starting in 2003, I built a successful, fast-paced career in corporate finance that spanned the next 13 years. While I thrived in the financial world, life took a beautiful, unexpected turn in 2015 when my grandmother came to visit me from Lebanon. Wanting to cherish every moment with her, I made the bold decision to resign from my corporate job. Little did I know, she was about to inspire the next chapter of my life. My grandmother found American chocolates and desserts far too sweet for her palate. “Call your uncle and buy chocolate from him,” she’d urge me. After hearing it one too many times after lunch one afternoon, curiosity got the best of me. I picked up the phone to call my uncle in Lebanon and find out what the hype was about. His answer was simple: “I can send you chocolate.” That phone call changed everything. Realizing there was a craving—and a market—for premium, perfectly balanced, authentic chocolates, I traded balance sheets for cacao blends and wine pairings. Exactly on December 15, 2015, we officially opened our doors. What started as a granddaughter’s desire to spend time with her grandmother transformed into a passion-driven business bringing world-class chocolate to Oregon and beyond.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“It has been everything but smooth. From the uncertainty of starting a retail enterprise to the unprecedented business climate of pandemic, and now the tariffs and fuel costs, the difficulty of importing temperature sensitive delicacies, struggles finding employees, disruptive hotel renovations that cripple our busiest seasons, opening new locations, it has been a never-ending stream of things to pivot from. However, every single one of those hurdles has pushed us to become more creative and resilient.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Azar Indulgences?
Azar Indulgences is an artisan boutique chocolatier and specialty coffee shop tucked into the historic heart of downtown Portland, specializing in premium confections that beautifully bridge time-honored Belgian techniques with our rich Lebanese family heritage. We are best known for our incredible variety—including over 100 distinct chocolate bars, 60+ individual truffles, and our highly sought-after Dubai chocolate bars—but what truly sets us apart is our radical commitment to dietary inclusivity. Luxury chocolate should be a shared pleasure, so we have meticulously developed world-class options that are completely vegan, as well as free of dairy, added sugar, gluten, and nuts, ensuring anyone with allergies or lifestyle preferences can indulge safely. Brand-wise, I am incredibly proud to carry forward a chocolate-making tradition that dates back over a century to our ancestors in Lebanon, and winning Gold in the Best of the Rose City poll proved that Portlanders truly value the love and history we pack into every creation. Ultimately, we want readers to know that Azar Indulgences is a welcoming sensory sanctuary built for slowing down; we invite you to step inside, pair a unique truffle with a espresso, and discover a genuinely sweet piece of Portland’s independent culinary community.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
It is truly hard to pick just one favorite memory because my childhood was shaped by moments of beautiful transition, family warmth, and the sweet tastes of home. I vividly remember our last Christmas Eve in Lebanon at my uncle’s house, right before we had to flee to Syria due to the civil war; my dad left for a bit, and when we returned home, he had left the great room window wide open, pretending Santa had just visited. My brother got a race track and I got a dollhouse, and we immediately set them up to play together as a family. I can still smell our house, see the marble entrance, and picture the beautiful decorations. Later, when we were living in Syria, my maternal grandmother—who is the inspiration for Azar Indulgences—would come visit us, bringing precious pieces of home from Beirut. My brother and I would excitedly dive straight to her purse looking for chocolate. That sweetness tied directly into memories of riding in the back of a delivery van with our uncle in Beirut, hanging out and eating treats while waiting for the next bakery delivery stop. Those moments of pure family connection, laughter against the backdrop of hardship, and the simple joy of a piece of chocolate from my grandmother’s purse are the exact heartbeat of what we create at Azar Indulgences today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.azarindulgences.com
- Instagram: azarindulgences
- Facebook: azarindulgences
