(LANHAM, Md.) – A local chocolate company will be handing out sweets to the stars tonight at the 85th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Zoe’s Chocolate Co. was picked to be part of the gifting suite that celebrities and VIPs have access to during the awards show.

The company, headquartered in Pennsylvania, has a store in Frederick but roots in Baltimore.

Zoe Tsoukatos, the store’s namesake, started the company after her family had been in the chocolate making business for three generations, beginning with her great-aunt and uncle.

“It was just a little push cart in Baltimore, they were first generation over from Greece,” says Ashley Dorsey, Public Relations Director for Zoe’s Chocolate Co.

Dorsey says the small push cart soon grew into a thriving business and the chocolatiers moved to Waynesboro, Pa.

The confections are still made in Waynesboro but are sold all over the nation. That’s how they got the attention of a scout in California who asked them to provide chocolates for the 2011 Emmy Awards.

Now, they’re at it again with a special 16-piece assortment including a Black Raspberry Truffle and Baklava Truffle that gives a nod to their Mediterranean heritage.

The special edition chocolates are in stores now and can be ordered online.