For James and Wichita State graduate Beth Tully, chocolate is more than a dessert – it’s a lifelong staple. At Cocoa Dolce, the mother and son duo spend their days crafting fine artisan chocolates at Wichita’s hottest dessert stop.

After earning her degree in speech therapy, Beth began working at a Fortune 500 company to pay the bills. She realized her heart wasn’t in it and asked family members for career advice after decades of work.

After a lifetime of snacking on Beth’s decadent holiday sweets, her family urged her to follow her dream of opening her own chocolate store. Cocoa Dolce was born in 2005. Beth went to Vancouver to earn her Maitre Chocolatier (Master Chocolatier) certification and opened shop.

“You can still see that spark she had during Christmas,” her son James said. James now works with Beth as head chef, bringing his culinary restaurant experience to a sweeter place.

The treats at Cocoa Dolce are made with Belgian chocolate. The process of a Dolce chocolate is mostly done by hand, spanning multiple days for one batch. The company strives to use organic ingredients as the world becomes more environmentally conscious.

James said the secret to finding your passion lies in being honest with yourself.

“You have to ask yourself, when am I the happiest?” he said. For Beth and James, it’s in the kitchen over a batch of freshly made chocolate.