Ruby's Chocolates
Sina Danesh, Managing Director and Co-Owner of Ruby’s Chocolates
Ruby’s Chocolates began in Melinda Mueller’s kitchen in 2009. Though she had a full time job as an interior designer, she dabbled in chocolate-making in her free time, which turned into producing chocolates for friends and family, and eventually into a legacy business. “People were like, ‘Why don't you sell this? This stuff is so good!’ And she thought, ‘You know what? I have a passion for it. I think I will,’” says Sina Danesh, Melinda’s son, who co-owns Ruby’s Chocolates with her. “She started the business with just $25 in the bank.”
When it became clear that selling chocolates to family and friends was not enough to sustain the business Melinda took a leap of faith and pitched her product to Jim Bonaminio at Jungle Jim’s. During her visit, Jim told Melinda to take a lap around the store with her product, and if she sold something, he’d carry her product. That day, Melinda sold half of the stock she brought with her, and left with her very first retail account at the nation’s largest grocery store. Soon after, she’d land shelf space in Dorothy Lane Market, where an opportunity to expand her product selection arose.
Dorothy Lane was looking for someone to produce Oreo truffle cakes for them. Truffle cakes weren’t on the menu at Ruby’s at the time, but Melinda quickly developed her own version for Ruby’s Chocolates and began selling them to Dorothy Lane. They became a crowd favorite and remain one of Ruby’s best sellers today alongside their joysticks—pretzel rods decadently wrapped in caramel and chocolate and sprinkled with different toppings like toffee and M&Ms—and classic turtles.
While wholesale is the foundation of Ruby’s Chocolates, making up the bulk of their sales, Sina says, their retail locations have always been about providing a special experience for their guests. Stepping into Ruby’s Chocolates on Elm Street feels like entering a sugary wonderland. Ruby’s branding feels truly indulgent with their baby pink interiors, rich red boxes of truffles, and drippy chocolate accents on the walls of their space. Not to mention their signature “R”, which is an homage to Melinda’s grandmother, Ruby, who was known for signing her checks with an outsized “R”. This display of confidence has always been an inspiration to Melinda, and including it in Ruby’s branding was a no brainer.
Their storefront in the Findlay Market District was not their first. Sina is a commercial realtor by trade, and saw potential in a small building in Oakley, which he turned into Ruby’s Chocolates' very first storefront location in 2019. “I really believed in retail, and I wanted to get more credibility for Ruby’s, so I found us a retail space in Oakley. Then sure enough, March 2020 happened. It was a really challenging time of course, but we had a great year of business because people were being so intentional about shopping small,” Sina says.
He cites this sentiment as his main reason for moving Ruby’s Chocolates’ only storefront from Oakley to the Findlay Market District. “[Findlay Market] is so synergetic and focused around supporting local, and that means a lot, because it keeps all the money here in our community,” he says. He and Melinda had their sights set on Findlay Market for years, and when an opportunity presented itself in the summer of 2023, they hopped on it.
The addition of Ruby’s Chocolates to the Market District complements options like Maverick Chocolate and uGOgelato, Sina says, offering guests a range of options when they shop at Findlay Market. “We bought our soft serve machine specifically for Findlay because no one else was offering it. But when people come in and ask if we have gelato, I tell them about uGOgelato next door. Or if you want someone that’s breaking down the cocoa beans to make their chocolate, Maverick is a great option,” he says. “Everybody has something different to offer that other businesses don't. I think that's what I respect the most about Findlay Market.”
Published December 2025