M
arion McFeely had been working
as an X-ray technician when,
after 20 years on the job, she
was downsized. Faced with the idea of starting over, McFeely
decided to pursue a much sweeter career path—one paved
with chocolate.
McFeely had grown up with a mother who loved to bake
and craft homemade chocolates. As a result, she developed a
love for making her own specialty chocolates and had always
dreamed of someday running her own business.
When she lost her job in the medical field, she decided the
timing was finally right. In June 2013, she opened the doors to
McFeely’s Gourmet Chocolate on Fourth Street in Irwin.
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” says McFeely. “I’d
never done anything like this before. I went to talk to Lois
Woleslagle at the Irwin Business & Professional Association
to tell her I wanted to open up a chocolate and ice cream store,
and she told me, ‘You will always regret it if you don’t try.’”
McFeely heeded Woleslagle’s advice. She opened her shop
during one of Irwin’s summer street festivals and before long,
the line to get into the store was spilling out onto the street.
“That first day was a bit overwhelming. The door didn’t close
the entire day. Thank goodness we had practiced scooping
ice cream the week before,” she says with a laugh. “We had an
absolute ball.”
McFeely, a North Huntingdon native and 1975 Norwin
High School graduate, said that she knew she wanted to open
her storefront in Irwin. “I know the people here, and I’m
comfortable here,” she explains. “I wanted to be a part of this
business community.”
After that hectic first day, McFeely soon settled into a
routine. As word of mouth spread, her business began to
thrive, and it wasn’t long before she decided to add a second
location. After a brief stay at Banco Business Park, she opened
her second store at 100 S. Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg
on Dec. 1, 2017. The new store gives her enough space to host
chocolate parties for children, teens and adults, as well as work
with community groups like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
for chocolate making workshops.
McFeely’s also operates an ice cream trailer—a “store on
wheels,” she calls it—that the staff can take to weddings,
parties and corporate and community events. In July of 2017,
they added a novelty ice cream truck, complete with the
unmistakable ice cream truck jingle, which zigzags through
local neighborhoods.
McFeely’s is a true family business—Marion’s daughters and
sister help make chocolate and run the two locations, and her
husband, Ray, helps to operate the vehicles.
“I could work morning until night doing this,” says McFeely,
who has four children and nine grandchildren. “I absolutely
love it. I lay awake at night and dream about what to make next.
If you’re going to open your own business, you have to have a
passion for it, or it won’t work.”
Owner
Marion McFeely
“Yes, it’s true that we give back
to our community, but we get
back 10 times what we give.”
Best sellers include the chocolate-covered bacon, sea salt
chocolate caramels and the peanut butter meltaways. McFeely
loves to experiment with combinations like chocolate-
covered jalapeños and dark chocolate mixed with Pop Rocks.
Many of the items she carries have a seasonal theme. In the
fall, she sells pumpkin truffles, caramel apples and “turkey
legs” made with pretzel rods, caramel and nuts; during
the holidays, she crafts 3-D sleighs filled with chocolate
pieces. Hand-dipped fruits like strawberries, raspberries
and tangerines are popular year-round, as is the fudge and,
of course, the hand-dipped ice cream, which is supplied by
Perry’s Ice Cream. She welcomes special orders and can make
customized chocolates for weddings, birthdays, graduations,
corporate events and more.
McFeely is thankful to be a part of her local business
community, and makes it a point to participate in nonprofit
fundraisers and school events, always donating a portion of
sales back to the organization.
“Yes, it’s true that we give back to our community, but we
get back 10 times what we give,” she says. “I love to see our
community grow, and we’re happy to be a part of that.” ■
NORWIN ❘ WINTER 2018
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