I'm leaving out Hershey, PA because while Hershey's are super popular they are rarely considered to be good chocolate. It seems like there should be some Mexican or Central American or US chocolate region so why hasn't this happened? (Or if it has, why isn't it as well known among Americans an Europeans?)
hi! you may be interested in this post
and perhaps also this one
Meanwhile, since posts on popular food items tend to attract a lot of opinion, just a reminder to potential respondents to stick to the historical development of the chocolate industry (up to 1994 only), and not discuss current market share, not sidetrack into expressions of affection or debates about various chocolates or chocolatiers. Thanks!