Throwback Thursday: Mary Jane’s Chocolates

This week we’re at Mary Jane’s Chocolates in downtown Bowling Green on College Street. It’s Bowling Green’s only local chocolate shop and officially turns eight years old this year, but the Mary Jane’s story began more than 30 years ago. 

It all started in the early 1980s when Mary Jane Meszaros and her daughter Marie started making boxes of chocolate as Christmas gifts. Living in Cleveland at the time, the family made an annual tradition of making holiday candies. They moved to Bowling Green in 1993 and tried to continue, but couldn’t find a local chocolatier and supplies. 

Mary Jane decided the city needed its own chocolate shop, and worked hard to turn her dream into a reality. After more than a decade of research in chocolate making and retail, she opened Mary Jane’s Chocolates in 2010. The original shop was located on Scottsville Road, but moved to the current College Street location a couple years ago. 

Not only did shop patrons love the great taste, but they also loved the Bowling Green specific candies dedicated to local people, places and things. Customers have selections of candies inspired by Western Kentucky University, the area caves and unique landmarks. Candy names like Cave Critters, Cherry Halls, Fountain and Circus Squares, and White Squirrels, tell the Bowling Green story.

Mary Jane is officially going into retirement this year. After starting from the ground up, she’s handing the chocolatier reins to Marie to run the family business. Just in time for the holiday season, customers can order chocolate and candies of all kinds at Mary Jane’s. The shop takes custom-made orders and makes chocolate dreams come true.