Homegrown business poised for expansion

With a master's degree in industrial engineering, Nicole Patel said she never envisioned her life would be consumed with creating chocolate truffles and delicacies. However, after years of renting kitchen space and a part-time commitment to a growing business, the Delysia Chocolatier proprietor is finally set to open her own production facility in Northwest Austin.

"One day you're going to be an executive, a CEO," Patel said, recalling a former Texas A&M University professor's vision for her.

Patel said she became interested in preparing chocolates in December 2006, when she was eight months pregnant with her oldest son. She said at the time she was not up to joining the mall crowds to buy holiday gifts and stumbled upon a television show about making candy truffles. She thought she could try cooking chocolate truffles to give away during the holiday season. Despite her first batch being a flop, Patel persisted and eventually succeeded, developing her own technique through trial and error.

Encouraged by her husband, Rahul, the Steiner Ranch resident said she catered neighborhood parties with the handmade chocolates from her kitchen and later rented professional kitchen space. She enlisted her brother, a marketing consultant in New York City, to create a branding campaign for the startup business, she said.

Delysia, a spin on the word "delicious" in Latin and an uncommon Southern female name, launched in October 2008, she said. With a full-time job, Patel said she limited her new business to catering weddings and other events. A weekend trip to Hill Country vineyards with her husband changed all of that.

"We stopped at Becker Vineyards and met the tasting manager," Patel said.

She said the winery staffers sampled her chocolates and placed an order, becoming the fledgling company's first client. Becker challenged Patel to create a flavor to pair with its Texas wines and to use the wine in her chocolate-making process.

Patel returned to Becker a few weeks later with a new product and became the first chocolatier in the state to partner with a local vineyard.

"I drove [home] and told my husband, 'Apparently we're in business,'" she said.

Patel said she made truffles with barbecue sauce for The Salt Lick restaurant in February 2010 and created chocolates to celebrate the opening of Austin's W Hotel in November 2011. She said she has since added corporate clients who want their logo branded on chocolate for events.

In December 2012, Patel purchased a building at RR 620 and Anderson Mill Road that will be remodeled into Delysia's production kitchen, complete with a client meeting room and chocolate storage area for large orders, she said. The facility is not planned for retail sales to individuals, only wholesale establishments, she said.

"We want to get into the [new] space and grow across Austin," Patel said.

Where can I buy Delysia chocolates?

  • Becker Vineyards
  • Breed & Co.
  • Con' Olio Oils & Vinegars
  • Departure Lounge
  • Hillside Farmacy
  • The Hot Spot (Kansas)
  • The Salt Lick

How are Delysia truffles made?

Delysia handmade chocolate truffles take six to seven hours to make, Delysia Chocolatier founder Nicole Patel said.

  • Melt chocolate in tempering machine
  • Create mold for chocolate
  • Pour chocolate into mold
  • Remove chocolate from mold to make a shell
  • Fill the shell with ganache—chocolate mixed with cream and flavoring
  • Allow shell and ganache to set
  • Cap the bottom of the filled shell with melted chocolate
  • Allow truffle to set once more
  • Remove truffle from mold and serve

Where does Delysia chocolate come from?

Patel said she imports chocolate annually from Southern Germany. She said each pallet of chocolate bars contains 80 boxes and each box weighs about 22 pounds.

Patel said the chocolate beans used in the bars are ethically grown in Ghana.

Delysia Chocolatier, 2000 Windy Terrace, Ste. 2C (coming soon) 512-413-4701, www.delysia.com