After years of practicing medicine and helping others from a hospital, Dr. Sue Williams decided she could also help the community through her local chocolate business.

“Sometimes it’s something small, like a box of chocolates; sometimes it’s something big like a very substantial check,” Williams said. “We do what we can to give back to the community.”

Williams does not take a paycheck from her chocolate company. Instead she puts that money back into the business, which employs 8-20 people depending on the season, and donates the rest.

Williams owns and operates Dr. Sue’s Chocolate, which opened three years ago at its current location off Main Street in Grapevine. The company offers chocolates and sweets with only natural ingredients and sells specialty products in which the proceeds benefit nonprofits.

“Since I am a doctor, everything we make is all-natural, dark chocolate,” said Williams, who specializes in internal medicine. “There are no artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, and so even the peppermint bark, the red is not dye; it’s from beets.”

Williams uses her sweet shop as an opportunity to help people learn more about food ingredients. The main ingredients in her products are Belgian chocolate, accompanied by natural and locally sourced flavors.

“We are trying to be as cautious and thorough as we can be with our sourcing, so we put the finest ingredients in it, and then we make everything right here by hand,” Williams said.

Williams said she began making chocolates in classes as a hobby. Her hobby eventually developed into a side business in addition to her vocation.

“Sometimes I feel like if you just put a calendar on the wall and threw darts at it, that would be my schedule,” Williams said. “Pretty much if I’m not at the hospital I’m here.”

She said her goal is to create a treat people can feel good about eating.

“What I would love for [my customers] to do is find something they enjoy that’s absolutely delicious, and I would like for it to be what I would consider a better option when you want to have something sweet,” Williams said.

Dr. Sue’s Chocolate
417 S. Main St., Grapevine
817-416-7667
www.drsueschocolate.com
Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.