We are a fine chocolate maker located in Southwestern Pennsylvania about 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. We specialize in premium Swiss chocolates -- thick, rich chocolates with homemade centers -- or luscious fruits and chunky nut clusters. You may be lucky enough to remember chocolates like this from your childhood -- but now we are unique. We are the exclusive chocolatier to the Pittsburgh Opera, and have been twice featured at the Academy Awards.
We have been in business since 1947. At that time, our founder, Dorothy Gastel, had been making confections of all kinds for gifts. But soon, there was such a demand for her chocolates that she decided to go into business for herself. Her decision coincided with the birth of her son, Robert, who owns the business today. Dorothy reasoned that she would be able to save a little money for Robert's college fund. Today, Dorothy's Chocolates ships more than 75,000 pounds of chocolate confections throughout the continental United States and Canada. The popularity of Dorothy's Candies is simply the result of one neighbor telling another. Our fame grows as one relative brings the chocolates to a family gathering, with the result that everyone insists on Dorothy's next time.
Many of our customers once bought chocolates from Dorothy when she made them at home in her basement in the Grand View section of McKeesport. Others shopped at her tiny "new" store on Versailles Avenue, McKeesport. Many of our customers, in far flung places of the world, started buying their chocolates in one of these locations, and have made Dorothy's Candies a delictable part of their holiday traditions.
Our candy chefs continue to make candy in exactly the same painstaking way that Dorothy insisted upon. We remain a tribe of perfectionists -- we want each and every piece of chocolate to be just right. Though Dorothy's Candies are pleasing to even the pickiest chocolate lovers, we don't call them gourmet chocolates. We simply won't charge the $25 to $75 per pound charged for gourmet chocolates! Real good chocolates for real people! Just like Dorothy wanted.
Although many other chocolatiers started out making chocolate by hand, very few do so today. Most manufacturers sell their chocolates in grocery stores and drug stores. Not us. We use no preservatives, so Dorothy's cannot sit on warm store shelves week after week. Dorothy's chocolates are made for each season -- fresh!
We believe that hand-dipped chocolate tastes much, much better. We also know that fine chocolate requires a special environment to ensure perfection and freshness when you buy it.
Even so, you'll find that our prices are about the same -- or less -- as many mass produced "fine" chocolates. So why pay a premium price for a machine shop candy when you can afford the premium hand-dipped chocolate from Dorothy's?
