Handmade chocolates will be the center piece of Napoli Chocolates which will be opening in the Oak Park Mall on Monday. — Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Monday marks first day for chocolate store at mall

Lisa Nelson said the biggest challenge to opening Napoli Chocolate is keeping her homemade chocolates on the shelves and away from taste-testers.

Nelson will open her chocolate shop 9 a.m. Monday in Oak Park Mall in the former home of Claire’s

Lisa Nelson will be opening Napoli Cholcate in the Oak Park Mall this Monday which will feature hand-made chocolates.

Boutique and across from Vision World. The shop will feature handmade German, Italian and Swiss chocolates and truffles, but also will have fudge, peanut brittle, toffee, gummies and other goodies. Customers can buy single servings, purchase her creations by the pound, and even buy them online.

Nelson said her husband, Bob, with whom she co-owns Ole Barn BBQ and the Kitchen Warehouse, has been one of her biggest supporters, and one of her most frequent taste-testers. She said his favorites are the milk chocolate candies. Nelson also has been testing them on employees at Ole Barn BBQ, which she said went over really well.

Nelson said her biggest inspiration was her grandmother, Agnes Hays, who owned a homemade chocolate shop in a suburb of Kansas City, Mo., until she passed away 10 years ago.

“She is my inspiration day in, day out,” Nelson said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do since my grandma passed, but we never had the opportunity until now.”

While the focus will be on local customers, Nelson will launch a website sometime next week, www.napolichocolate.com, which will allow customers to place orders online to be shipped anywhere in the world.

Nelson will also offer four or five different flavors of coffee, homemade rolls and Danishes, and starting in May, she will have homemade caramel corn and cheese popcorn.

Nelson said she hasn’t decided on hours yet, but it will be open seven days per week, probably following mall hours closely.

For more information, call Napoli Chocolate at 507-433-0047.