Chocolate Works Makes Commack a Little Sweeter

Commack residents have a golden ticket to their own version of Willy Wonka’s factory within Chocolate Works, a new candy and confections shop now open at the Peppertree Commons Shopping Center.

Walking into Chocolate Works, at 6401 Jericho Tpke., is a bit like entering a chocolate dream world.  Walk in, close your eyes and breathe in the cocoa aroma with its sweet notes and rich fragrance. When the old-fashioned jazz music playing from the speakers wakes you up, you’ll find yourself in front of a wall of whimsical colored candies, a chocolate river flowing from a fondue waterfall and you may even spot a rendition of Vincent van Gough’s painting, ‘Sunflowers,’ made completely out of chocolate.

“My favorite thing is when people walk in the door and the first thing they say is, ‘Oh no,’ because they know they’re going to be in such trouble,” Rhonda Daniels, who owns the shop with her husband, Christopher, said with a laugh. 

It’s the immediate customer delight that Daniels said she enjoys the most. 

“It makes people happy. It’s the kind of simple pleasure that gives instant gratification, and it’s the kind of business where people are really coming in to indulge,” she said. “I just wanted it to be a place that brought a little joy to people’s lives.”

The store’s specialty is its signature truffles, which are made from pure cocoa, fresh cream and dusted with cocoa powder. Other favorites are chocolate covered fruits, potato chips, Nutter Butters and chocolate champagne balls. The chocolate comes from Belgium, and is also kosher. In addition, the store sells about a dozen unique flavors of ice cream.

While a sophisticated chocolate selection gives adults a chance to act like kids in a candy store, children have plenty to smile about too. In addition to a pick-and-mix candy wall, the shop also hosts birthday parties, in which youngsters get to don chef aprons and decorate their own chocolate molds.

The store had a soft opening last week and has been seeing a steady flow of foot traffic since.

“I think it’s doing so well because there’s really nothing like this store in the area,” Daniels said.

The Centerport couple has already signed on to open four more locations on Long Island. The pair is planning to celebrate the Commack location’s grand opening during the first weekend in October.