Step aside Charlie—there’s a new chocolatier in town. Walk into several stores in Dallas and you may come across a bright red–wrapped chocolate bar stamped with the words “Truman Bar” and a blond boy giving a thumbs up. That is the face—in cartoon form—of Truman Wilson, the 14-year-old founder of The Truman Factory.
We met Truman and his dad, Derek Wilson, at Royal Blue Grocery in Highland Park Village. (Yep, Truman Bars are sold here.) Selling Truman Bars along with merchandise such as T-shirts, magnets and stickers adorned with its trademark logo, The Truman Factory is all the rage among Dallas kids. Truman Bars are popular for their Willy Wonka-like allure: Each wrapper has a ticket with a code you can enter online to redeem a special prize. And staying true to its motto of “For Kids, By Kids,” The Truman Factory donates a portion of its sales to Vogel Alcove, a Dallas-based organization that helps homeless kids. We chatted with the Wilsons after school to talk all things Truman Factory and the importance of giving back to the community.