When Zel Nealy, a manicurist at The Mansion's Salon, began making peanut brittle for her clients for the holidays, she never dreamed it would lead to becoming a certified chocolatier and the start of her own chocolate business.

Nealy, a Fort Worth native, launched Dallas Chocolates in September 2001 to support 14 Dallas charities in honor of her clients, some of Dallas' most well-known philanthropic leaders. In Nealy's "Hall of Fame Celebrity Chocolates," each chocolate has been named for a different Dallas philanthropist and a percentage of every box sold goes to the philanthropist's designated charity. "

For the past nine years at The Mansion's Salon, I have had the pleasure of getting to know some of Dallas's most outstanding leaders and hearing about their work in the community and the many Dallas organizations that truly make a difference," said Nealy. "I decided it was time for me to do something to help others, and since everyone loved my holiday peanut brittle, I wanted to learn how to make chocolates. My clients helped me develop this passion, encouraging me every step of the way." Nealy researched chocolate recipes, gathering some from her clients and others from more than 20 cookbooks off the shelves at Half Price Books. She began to bring the different chocolates into work, utilizing her clients as tasters and linking specific chocolates with specific clients, based on their preferences, resulting in Nealy's "Hall of Fame Celebrity Chocolates."

"Zel Nealy is an extremely enterprising individual and a hard worker with wonderful ideas and unbelievable dedication," said Shirley Pollock, who is featured in Nealy's "Hall of Fame Celebrity Chocolates." "Starting a new business is difficult enough, and when you add the element of donating a portion of the earnings to charity, the process becomes even more difficult. Zel wants to do something with her life, and I enthusiastically applaud her endeavors. I also love her delicious chocolates!"

Nealy's "Hall of Fame Celebrity Chocolates" features the following Dallas philanthropists and their designated beneficiaries: Marilyn Auger, The Child Care Group; Sis Carr, the Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet; Mary Anne Cree, Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House & Insectarium at Fair Park; Nancy and Bob Dedman, The Salvation Army; Rachel and Bob Dedman, The Family Place; Mimi Lay Hodges, The Dallas Arboretum; Jack Knox, Foundation for Sick Children; Kidd Kraddick, Kidd's Kids; Norma Myers, Crystal Charity Ball; Patty & Bo Pilgrim, North Texas Food Bank; Shirley Pollock; Friends of the Dallas Public Library; Ernie and Brad Wayne, Baylor Healthcare Foundation Memory Alliance; Jimmy Westcott, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas; and Rosalie Yap, Baylor Healthcare System Foundation.

Dallas Chocolates are available in our Secure Online Chocolate Shop.
To place your order by phone, please call 214-559-7277.