Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Dubuque, we will share other developments in Wednesday’s edition.

The Dubai chocolate bar is a culinary invention that took social media by storm in 2024 when users began sharing their experiences tasting and making the treat.

Betty Jane Homemade Candies, of Dubuque, has added a Dubai chocolate imitation to its lineup, as well as other treats — including one that infuses locally roasted coffee — this summer.

Mass-produced variants of the Dubai candy have not always succeeded in preserving its original essence — the marriage of high-quality chocolate, pistachio and a Middle Eastern pastry that creates a taste and texture unique among American candies.

“I remember seeing them at the grocery store and thinking, ‘Hey, we could make that pretty easily,” said Drew Siegert, president of Betty Jane Homemade Candies. “(With) some of these larger companies, you’ll see mass-produced (stuff) where I don’t even know what they’re using. There’s a difference between chocolate, which is what we use, and things called confectionery coating, where it’s not really chocolate — it’s ingredients that mimic chocolate and taste somewhat like chocolate. But it’s not real chocolate.”

Still, for the first three months, Siegert dismissed the Dubai bar as a fad that would die out quickly.

“Then I was seeing them, not only at the grocery store but all over town,” he laughed. “People were advertising them on their street signs. So we developed our DuBetty bar recipe, and the response has been amazing.”

Betty Jane’s DuBetty bar recipe melts the shop’s homemade blend of milk and dark chocolate into molds filled with the green pistachio paste, Kataifi toasted pastry strands and nutty Tahini paste in the Dubai bars.

Now stores across town, including Hy-Vee, Fareway and Hartig Drug, stock the DuBetty bar variant whenever it’s available.

“We’re actually having a lot of trouble keeping them in stock,” Siegert said. “We’ll get it ironed out, but we didn’t expect that big of a response”

This summer season, Betty Jane’s also has plenty of other innovations to showcase, including its caffeinated milk chocolate coffee bark made with Verena Street coffee grounds and sold at both locations.

The store also introduced “Shorties,” shortbread cookie crumbles sourced from local bakeries, combined with Betty Jane’s homemade gremlin caramel and covered in real milk chocolate.

Several items only available in milk chocolate are also now available in dark chocolate.

Betty Jane’s has expanded its hours this summer, now from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information visit bettyjanecandies.com.