Today we’d like to introduce you to Greter Machado.
Hi Greter, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a doctor by profession, but during my maternity leave, while I was expecting my second child, I discovered a passion that would end up changing my trajectory: chocolate making. It all started when I decided to make some chocolates to surprise my oldest son, who was three at the time. I bought some molds, learned by watching videos, a lot of them, and managed to make some Nutella-filled chocolates with a golden finish. As a chocolate lover, I also tried the artisanal chocolates sold in my city. While I admired the work of the makers, I felt I could offer something different: chocolates made with high-quality imported ingredients, featuring colorful, elegant designs that were non-existent in my area at the time.
I wanted every box to be a special gift, not just a sweet treat, that’s why I designed my own packaging, researched new techniques, and began creating custom chocolates for every occasion adapted to the client’s taste, interest or personality. The response was more orders than I could handle.
Over time, I began receiving invitations to showcase my creations at entrepreneurship fairs and charity events. One of the greatest joys was seeing the children’s reactions; they often mistook my chocolates for toys and didn’t want to eat them because they looked so realistic and colorful.
When the time came to name my brand, the inspiration came from my own customers that kept saying the same phrase over and over: “Your chocolates are a temptation.” That is how Choco Tentación (Chocolate Temptation) was born.
The growth of the business also allowed me to fulfill a personal dream: obtaining a tourist visa for the United States. I traveled to Guyana to complete the process and was granted a five-year visa. Since then, I have had the opportunity to visit specialty shops, discover new trends, and learn techniques that have allowed me to keep innovating and elevating the quality of my products. As well as expanding my audience and visibility.
My story shows that, sometimes, the best opportunities arise at the most unexpected moments. With creativity, perseverance, and a lot of love, a simple curiosity can transform into a dream can true, and a fulfillment that only expands every time someone compliments what I do with such compromise.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The beginning was challenging because everything was happening while I was caring for a toddler and a baby who was barely three months old. Doing this at the same time I was experimenting, learning, building a business and all that it takes required sacrifice. I worked from home (often late into the night or very early in the morning) trying to make the most of the moments when my children were asleep to finish the next day’s orders. It was a very demanding period, but also one of the most rewarding. On the other side, my country’s limitations represent a big obstacle, as has been scheduling my working hours according to the schedule of electricity. But there’s no amount of challenge that can’t be overcaome when the purpose weighs more.
As you know, we’re big fans of Choco Tentacion. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Choco Tentación is a chocolate business rooted in a Cienfuegos, Cuba, with a big vision: to bring something truly different to our community. We create personalized chocolate experiences, combining high-quality ingredients with artistic design to produce something that goes far beyond a typical sweet treat.
We specialize in custom artisan chocolate boxes — curated collections of individually designed chocolate pieces arranged together into a single, cohesive experience. We make a wide range of chocolates, with all kinds of shape, design, color, customization, fillings and flavors, for all kinds of taste. Every box is built around a theme, a special occasion, or a personal request. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, wedding, corporate gift, or simply a personal craving, we design the box entirely around the customer, not a fixed catalog.
Full customization and innovative design is what sets us apart, is at the heart of everything we do. While other chocolate businesses offer standard assortments from a fixed menu, we sit down — virtually or in person — and build the experience around you. Our chocolates are handcrafted from scratch, and each piece is an artistic creation in its own right: detailed, intentional, and visually stunning. No two boxes are ever exactly alike. That’s not a marketing claim, it’s simply how we work.
We’re most proud of the reaction customers have when they receive their box. There’s a moment when someone opens it for the first time where they’re genuinely surprised by the detail and care inside, often identifying that detail, element, that was thought around them. That reaction is what drives us. It’s the reason people come back, and more importantly, it’s the reason they tell their friends. In a small town, word of mouth is everything, and the fact that our boxes earn that kind of response is something we take great pride in.
We want readers to know that Choco Tentación is not just a chocolate business but a place to order an experience made specifically for you. Every box tells a story, and we want that story to be yours. Whether you come to us with a clear vision or simply a feeling you want to convey, we’ll craft something that exceeds your expectations. If you’ve never had a chocolate box designed just for you, that’s exactly where we’d love to start. And also, it tastes amazing.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The fact that this kind of product hasn’t been fully introduced to our area, therefore we are filling that gap offering something new and innovating that truly draws people’s eye and interest. It’s the go-to when people want something exclusive and highly thoughtful.
Pricing:
- We have options for every kind of budget, so everyone can be able to taste our creations.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choco_tentacion_cfgs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Choco-Tentaci%C3%B3n/61557332640425/
- Other: https://wa.me/5356003015
