Way Chocolate serving candied creations in Winter Garden

When Chef Maria Harger first visited downtown Winter Garden a year ago, she fell in with the city’s charm. She loved it so much that it became a dream for her to run a business in downtown.

“It’s so charming,” Harger said. “The first time I came here, I fell in love. … I was absolutely enchanted with the area, with the people walking around; especially at night with the lights. I told to myself, ‘It would be a dream having a business over here.’”

Today, Harger lives that dream as she crafts confectionery treats at Way Chocolate at 50 W. Plant St., in downtown Winter Garden. She’s a certified pastry chef who studied at Valencia College and a self-proclaimed chocoholic.

Way Chocolate offers a seemingly endless variety of chocolate-coated treats made with authentic Swiss chocolate. From Twinkies and Oreos covered in chocolate to chocolate-dipped strawberries, orange peels and even candied ginger, Way Chocolate offers a wide selection to suit many palates. The shop also offers a selection of other sweets, such as macarons, cakes, gelato and even crème brûlée. 

“At Way Chocolate, we have a little bit of chocolate-covered everything,” Manager Allan Couto said. “From smoked bacon, Twizzlers, Twinkies, gummy bears, graham crackers, Oreos, pretzels, ginger, orange peels, pineapples, apricots, grapefruits — you name it — we dip a little bit of everything in chocolate. And if we don’t, just let us know. We might do it.”

“We have a line of dessert that we love,” Harger added. “Our best-seller is our flambé crème brûlée.”

Some of the sweets served at Way Chocolate were inspired by its customers, such as the chocolate-dipped cookies and chocolate-covered black licorice. Way Chocolate welcomes input and suggestions from the community as to what other sweet treats they should offer.  It even offers sugar-free and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions.

“(For) many of our items, we actually had guests walk in asking for things that we did not have, and now we do,” Couto said. “We always are experimenting with new things, but what makes us unique is that every time you walk in through that door, we’re always going to have something new. … We are very welcoming when it comes to ideas and dietary restrictions.”

Couto said Way Chocolate has been open for about three months. He added the name was chosen for the shop because the treats they offer are made the “way” Harger likes to make them — with love.

“We are passionate about (chocolate),” Couto said. “We decided to call it ‘Way Chocolate’ … because it is the way we like to do things. We’re always passionate and everything is made with love.”