ABOUT US

“cacao |kəˈkāō|

NOUN beanlike seeds from which cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate are made.

ORIGIN unknown, controversy about origin and domestication”

The roots of this seed inspired the business itself. As an ancient superfood, “cacao” connects one to a time when life was slower and cooking was sacred. With the hyper-convenience of modern life, many of us can only operate a microwave. Enjoying a home cooked meal is now a luxury. We at Cacao Tree aim to remedy that; to weave our food origins back into everyday life.

Our Mission

By creating fresh, nourishing offerings using the highest quality ingredients available, we hope to inspire you to eat more plants, feel amazing and desire to create your own unique dishes at home. While our recipes can incorporate costly ingredients, we recommend sourcing locally when at all possible, preserving fresh foods and growing as much of your own food as possible.

Seasonal, regional produce and whole food ingredients always yield the best flavor and nutrition. Most of all, we believe they contribute to a healthier ecosystem and a more connected community.

Our Founder

Amber Poupore is a plant-based chef, restaurateur, and culinary educator with more than 25 years of experience in the vegetarian and vegan culinary industry. She has personally followed a plant-based lifestyle for nearly 30 years, grounding her work in passion and lived experience. Her career was shaped over many years at Inn Season Café in Royal Oak, one of Michigan’s earliest plant-forward restaurants, before she founded Cacao Tree Café, a Royal Oak staple known for its organic superfood smoothies, raw desserts, and nutrient-dense meals made from whole, real foods designed to nourish the body and mind. She later founded The Clean Plate, a vegetarian restaurant in metro Detroit, and has consulted on plant-based menu development for restaurants and businesses throughout the region.

Amber has developed and led cooking and nutrition programs for community centers, wellness organizations, and corporations, emphasizing "food as medicine" while showcasing accessible ingredients and flavor-forward recipes. She has served as a featured chef on eight Holistic Holiday at Sea vegan cruises. Her experience also includes serving as a culinary consultant with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) for its Native Food for Life program, bringing plant-based education to Indigenous communities in the Southwest. Amber was also a key culinary partner to the Plant Based Nutrition Support Group (PBNSG), providing "plant-perfect" meals for large-scale educational events featuring leading physicians and authors, university lunch-and-learn programs, and delivering presentations of her own.

A graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, Amber is featured in the documentary Eating You Alive and the upcoming film Detroit: City of Chefs III, a documentary spotlighting plant-based cuisine and Michigan’s agricultural community. She is currently developing Herban Grounds, a community-focused coffee and plant-based café concept that extends her mission of nourishing people through thoughtful, compassionate food.