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Donya and her husband Dr. Jason S. Schweizer. Starting with
chocolate truffles, chocolate sauces, and rum cakes, the
business quickly evolved into what Donya Marie believes
unequivocally, and that is, “a balanced diet is chocolate in
everything”, and DARK chocolate is the ONLY chocolate.
Transitioning from Arizona public official and legal career, to a
successful food product designer and entrepreneur, has
been an “exciting” journey! When they moved to Washington
State in 2004 for Jason’s job, he urged her to consider doing
a business that they could run in their retirement years. As
she started casting around for what she might do given the
opportunity to really do something she liked, she looked at
many different possibilities.
While toying around with several ideas for a business that
could grow quickly, she had a family get together and decided
to make something different for them; hand rolled chocolate
truffles! They were, as one might imagine, a very big hit and
Donya Marie’s business was founded! A few Farmers
Markets later, with hardly enough money grossed to have
lunch on, she realized the business model would have to
change or they would starve to death in retirement! Rum
cakes, chocolate ice cream sauces, and biscotti were added.
chocolate truffles, chocolate sauces, and rum cakes, the
business quickly evolved into what Donya Marie believes
unequivocally, and that is, “a balanced diet is chocolate in
everything”, and DARK chocolate is the ONLY chocolate.
Transitioning from Arizona public official and legal career, to a
successful food product designer and entrepreneur, has
been an “exciting” journey! When they moved to Washington
State in 2004 for Jason’s job, he urged her to consider doing
a business that they could run in their retirement years. As
she started casting around for what she might do given the
opportunity to really do something she liked, she looked at
many different possibilities.
While toying around with several ideas for a business that
could grow quickly, she had a family get together and decided
to make something different for them; hand rolled chocolate
truffles! They were, as one might imagine, a very big hit and
Donya Marie’s business was founded! A few Farmers
Markets later, with hardly enough money grossed to have
lunch on, she realized the business model would have to
change or they would starve to death in retirement! Rum
cakes, chocolate ice cream sauces, and biscotti were added.
While revenue was better, it was not what Donya Marie envisioned. Knowing that combining chocolate with certain spices
brought out flavors that are usually lost, Donya thought, “Chocolate has a magical quality of making everything taste good.
Some ingredient combinations may not allow the “taste” of chocolate to come through, but if the chocolate is taken out, you are
then left with an ordinary morsel with an all too usual taste. It seems to make everything I make better, so why not put chocolate
in everything?”
Four years of recipe development, production, and selling that led to a multi-state wholesale business, an on-line retail outlet,
and multiple retail venues at markets and shows finally led Donya and her husband full circle with their retirement dream of
owning and running Donya Marie's Beyond Chocolate on the Coast of Oregon.
In testament to what perseverance can do, Donya has a telling comment: “Before leaving my career, I rarely – if ever – cooked a
gourmet meal. My penchant, however, definitely included enjoying fine food and quality restaurants back in Arizona. That love for
distinctive table fare, was definitely a sign of how things have evolved into my becoming an avid food designer!” And now with
her own developed recipes, products are made in a commercial kitchen, sold on line and in the store, and those products are
incorporated into wonderful foods served In Donya Marie’s Beyond Chocolate restaurant in Newport, Oregon. We now live our
dream every day!
brought out flavors that are usually lost, Donya thought, “Chocolate has a magical quality of making everything taste good.
Some ingredient combinations may not allow the “taste” of chocolate to come through, but if the chocolate is taken out, you are
then left with an ordinary morsel with an all too usual taste. It seems to make everything I make better, so why not put chocolate
in everything?”
Four years of recipe development, production, and selling that led to a multi-state wholesale business, an on-line retail outlet,
and multiple retail venues at markets and shows finally led Donya and her husband full circle with their retirement dream of
owning and running Donya Marie's Beyond Chocolate on the Coast of Oregon.
In testament to what perseverance can do, Donya has a telling comment: “Before leaving my career, I rarely – if ever – cooked a
gourmet meal. My penchant, however, definitely included enjoying fine food and quality restaurants back in Arizona. That love for
distinctive table fare, was definitely a sign of how things have evolved into my becoming an avid food designer!” And now with
her own developed recipes, products are made in a commercial kitchen, sold on line and in the store, and those products are
incorporated into wonderful foods served In Donya Marie’s Beyond Chocolate restaurant in Newport, Oregon. We now live our
dream every day!