TikTok trend bringing crowds to longtime Alabama favorite Mel’s Sweet Treats

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Mel’s Sweet Treats has been a community staple in Decatur for the last 22 years, serving up gourmet cookies and freeze-dried candy.

“My mama always said, your name comes before you do and [Mel’s] name has come before her,” confectioner Donna Smith said.

Recently, the shop decided to venture into new territory with a different creation. It’s called Dubai chocolate, and it’s the latest TikTok trend drawing crowds to Mel’s.

Whether in chocolate bar form or as a strawberry Dubai cup, owner Melissa “Mel” Cook said the response has been unlike anything she imagined.

“I thought it was just going to be a one-time thing,” Cook said. “But to see the same faces come again, it means it’s really good I think.”

Forty-two seconds is all it takes for Mel to make their signature strawberry Dubai cup. It’s a treat with layers of fresh-cut strawberries and crispy pistachio cream mixed with shredded phyllo dough. The cup is then drizzled with plenty of milk or white chocolate and topped off with crushed pistachios.

Those 42 seconds may seem unnecessarily fast, but speed matters when you have a line out the door.

“It is crazy,” Smith said, “and when I say crazy, I mean crazy. They will literally stand at the door an hour early. And they’re all the way down the sidewalk. They’re literally so excited and they meet each other and all become friends.”

Donna Smith went from being a loyal customer to one of Mel’s right-hand ladies. Now, she spends her retirement doing what she loves.

“I love the environment and I love being a people person that I am,’ Smith said. “When everybody comes in, everybody has a story. Everybody has that heart we all have. We all bleed red.”

It’s the kind of southern hospitality Mel’s is sure to continue for years to come.

If you’d like to get your hands on a strawberry Dubai cup or one of Mel’s other confections, click here for the store’s hours.