Meet Dorotheria Manuel | Chocolatier & Pastry Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dorotheria Manuel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dorotheria, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think taking risks is 100% necessary! Whether it’s when you’re first starting your career or moving into the next chapter in your life, tasking risks gives you valuable experience. I’ve felt uncertain at times in my life when I’ve t, at the same time it gives you valuable information for next time. Becoming a pastry chef was the first risk I’d ever taken. Even with the prospect of missed holidays and not seeing my family as much, I knew that I still wanted to . Opening a chocolate business was the second risk I’d taken in my career. While I was nervous working for myself at first, I’ve been able to grow from my mistakes – something I wouldn’t have been able to do if I hadn’t taken those risks.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been a pastry chef for almost 13 years now. I started in a high-volume bakery fresh out of culinary school – primarily working with bread before switching to pastry. 2 years later I got a job working in a hotel, where I began working with chocolate as a means to kill time. I realized then that I loved working with chocolate and wanted to pursue a career as a chocolatier. I left the hotel after a year and started working in a restaurant for the next 4 years. I got lucky and the executive chef encouraged me to make chocolates for wine tastings/cocktail pairings. I would eventually leave the restaurant industry in early 2024 to open my business.

I would that having a strong work ethic and a thick skin helped get me to where I am today. Working in the restaurant industry was hard at times – especially with the long hours and crappy working environments. Learning how to set boundaries helped me a lot, and it taught me how to be a better advocate for myself – when to walk away from situations when it didn’t benefit me.

I want people to see DOMA Chocolates as a reflection of both my personal and professional journey as a pastry chef. I created bonbon flavors that were inspired by desserts that I’ve either made or eaten over the years. I hand paint all of my bonbons and people have told me that they look like little pieces of art – which I love because I’ve always wanted to be an artist! I created the name of my company as a way to say “this is my business” and to honor my maternal grandmother.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m honestly such a homebody! Since I primarily work on the weekends doing farmers markets, I try to do as little as possible on my days off. However, I’m a huge foodie, so if I do have friends visiting from out of town, Buford Highway is my go-to spot. I’d definitely recommend stopping by Sweet Hut for their amazing pastries, and Java Saga for their chicken sandwiches (seriously extremely addictive!). I’m also a huge board game nerd and Level Up in Duluth, GA is where I go for my board game fix.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shout out my boyfriend, Jeremy! He’s been super supportive of my business since I started making chocolates in our tiny apartment in 2020.

Website: https://www.domachocolates.com

Instagram: @domachocolates

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/domachocolates

Image Credits
Dorotheria Manuel