VIENNA, VA — During Women’s History Month in March, we want to highlight the contributions of women-owned businesses and the contributions women have made in the business sector.
One of these businesses is Craving for Chocolate, co-owned by Suzanne Nader and Dalia Hidayat in the Vienna area. The boutique chocolate atelier hand-picks chocolates from around the world, including Belgian and Mediterranean chocolates. Their chocolate gifts are customized for corporate and embassy gifts, gift boxes, grand openings, graduations, birthdays, holidays, weddings and more occasions.
Nader, an immigrant from Lebanon, started Craving for Chocolate eight years ago in her basement. Hidayat told Patch she was a customer at the time and encouraged Nader to open a shop. The business grew through pop-up shops in the malls and Ritz-Carlton Hotel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hidayat became a business partner.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“During Covid we had no choice to work hard because we did not know what the future was going to bring. We worked hard on our website and penetrated social media,” said Hidayat. “Somehow The Washington Post found us and did an article about us. Since then, business has been steadily growing. We had to move out of the basement and into a workshop style shop since we are busy creating daily.”
Today, the business fulfills orders from their workshop at 2108-A Gallows Road in Vienna. The business has found its niche in a customer base of corporations, embassies and customers who appreciate high-end chocolate. They sell to customers nationwide but get walk-ins from residents in Vienna, McLean, Arlington and Loudoun County.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
Recently, Craving for Chocolate faced challenges like inflation making prices of cocoa and shipping high. But the business has been able to weather the storm, as “chocolate seems to be a constant” for luxury gifts.
“The most rewarding part of our business is that every single day we are serving people that either want to make someone else happy or themselves happy,” said Hidayat. “Since this is a major gift giving business, we experience the joy of giving which brings us great energy. People also tell us everyday that our chocolate makes them and their families so happy and in turn that makes as so happy.”
Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, visit www.cravingforchocolate.com.
Patch is featuring small businesses like from Craving for Chocolate for a free business spotlight. If you’d like your business to be featured, fill out our Q&A form. Feel free to pass the form along to any businesses that should be spotlighted in our community.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: Corinthians soccer tracksuit