CLEVELAND — It is arguably the sweetest time of the year as paczki season officially kicks off at beloved community staple Rudy's Strudel and Bakery.
For the first time ever, the Parma bakery is joining forces with another legendary local business—Malley's Chocolates.
They're rolling out a treat like no other in the form of the Malley's Paczki for the 2026 season.
While Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day is not until Feb. 17, a limited release of the special Malley's Paczki is happening Wednesday morning at Malley's main headquarters located on Brookpark Road, beginning at 9 a.m.
Guests are welcome to come to Malley's to celebrate and enjoy a dessert that the creators say will "blow your mind."
To kick off the collaboration at Malley's, Rudy's is helping create a celebratory atmosphere at the Brookpark Road location with live polka and hundreds of paczki.
Lidia Trempe, owner and operator of Rudy's, says the collaboration is a love letter to Clevelanders, and she's worked with her team and Malley's for the last several weeks to perfect it.
"This is something that will blow your mind. Two brands that love this city, love the people. The flavors, the passion—it's everything you want and need. We really test kitchened this to make sure it's a crowd pleaser," Trempe said.
The concept was created when she ran into Mike Malley of Malley's Chocolates at a City Club presentation.
She jumped at the opportunity to concoct something that Clevelanders would love.
The Malley's Paczki is filled with Malley's toffee-spiked fudge. It's then topped with pink and green powdered sugar—an ode to Malley's iconic colors.
"There is something so beautiful about this being the 2026 paczki. It's a dream come true working with Malley's and being able to celebrate something so delicious—that brings joy to so many people," Trempe said.
The Malley's Paczki is available on Wednesday for one day only at the main headquarters on Brookpark Road.
You can then begin purchasing it at Rudy's Strudel in Parma from Wednesday through Feb. 17, which is Rudy's highly anticipated Paczki Day celebration.
Trempe says more surprises are in store for their big upcoming Paczki Day party.
"I just can't thank everyone enough for their support. We do it for you guys, and we think this year will break records when it comes to production. It's a big moment," Trempe said.
