Salty Surprises
Residents delight in new pretzel confectionary shop
By Julie Mullen       SPECIAL TO THE COURIER NEWS

Helen Demeros has always been known as the candy lady in her Inverness neighborhood.

Making chocolate treats in her kitchen has been a hobby for Demeros for nearly 15 years. And, like so many before her, what was once a humble hobby has turned into a successful business venture.

"My house was known as the candy shop," Demeros said. "I have always played around with different caramels and chocolates, and have spent hours creating different treats. That has always been my passion."

The Pretzel Palace, at the southeast corner of Illinois 72 and Illinois 31 in West Dundee, debuted in mid-July amid much fanfare, offering pretzels, imported dried fruits and other treats, dipped in various chocolates.

Housed in a historic, circa 1848 brick structure, the confectionary stands as a timeless delight for area residents to enjoy. Having an actual storefront has been a long time coming for Demeros.

"Different people have asked me to open a business, and nothing had ever seemed right before," she said. "I used to joke that if I ever had a store, it would be in a very old house. I wouldn't go into a mall."

The old home, while a precious landmark for some, was actually baggage for the purchaser of the corner lot, which now contains a new strip mall.

Part of the development deal was that the historic house could not be leveled.

"A friend of mine bought the lot, and his wife is my best friend," Demeros said. "When they bought the lot, they said, 'we don't need this house.' I thought to myself, maybe it's a godsend."

Double dipping

The biggest seller at the Pretzel Palace is the gourmet chocolate-covered pretzels, which come in caramel walnut, peanut butter, coconut almond, vanilla Oreo and taffy apple. They sell for $15 per pound.

Dried fruits are popular, too, such as dates, figs, pineapples, strawberries, and apricots dipped in chocolate. They are priced from $13 to $16 per pound.

Ice cream bars, as well as a good supply of decades-old packaged candy favorites that thirty-somethings and forty-somethings will remember, also are for sale in the shop.

While customers come and go on the main floor, Demeros makes all the hand-dipped goodies fresh daily on the second floor. With the demands of a new business, one might wonder when she finds time for her part-time nursing job at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

"It's been 17 years, so it's hard to let go of it," she said. "I have been keeping it up, but it has been a challenge.”

However, Demeros has gradually been getting her feet wet in the dual role over the past three years. The Pretzel Palace actually was born in 2001 as a home-based business that developed by word of mouth. At the time, Demeros was mainly creating gift baskets and special occasion treats, such as chocolate baby booties.

Although the regular end of her business has been good considering it is summertime, Demeros says she anticipates a boom in the gift basket business as fall approaches. Changing her offerings is part of the fun for both herself and her patrons, she added.

"Marshmallow s'mores on a stick will be my next creation," Demeros said. "I hope to keep creating different things and keep the offerings fresh. "Pretzel Palace

Address: 719 W. Main St., West Dundee
Phone: (847) 844-6930
Owner: Helen Demeros
Business: Gourmet pretzel and dried fruit confectionaries. These are hand dipped in milk, dark or white chocolate, caramel and nuts. Gift baskets available.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
            In the fall, Sunday hours will be added.
Payment: Cash, personal check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover
On the Net: www.pretzelpalace.com