North Fork visitors are used to tastings of merlot, cabernet franc and chardonnay.
But how about a flight of pecan caramels, marshmallow squares and toffee bark with almond and dark chocolate?
Hampton Chocolate Factory, which opened a Westhampton Beach storefront one year ago, is expanding to Greenport this summer. The new shop will be located at 117 Main Street, right next to Claudio’s.
Expect a Memorial Day weekend opening.
There owners Caroline and Evan Gappelberg hope to offer customers a thorough chocolate experience.
When patrons first enter, they are greeted by the staff. Then they are introduced to the product and are shown a sampling bar.
“We walk them through this chocolate lane of delicious chocolates by the piece,” Ms. Gappelberg said.
The chocolate is prepared by a former Daniel Boulud pastry chef in Brooklyn, but is continually restocked on the East End.
“The product is made and it’s here the next day,” Mr. Gappelberg said. “Everything is uber fresh.”
A differentiating factor from other bakeries and sweet shops are the premium ingredients used, Mr. Gappelberg said. Hampton Chocolate Factory goods are made with what the Gappelbergs described as the “Rolls Royce” of chocolate. The milk chocolate is made by Valrhona, which maintains the Ecole du Grand Chocolat in France and the dark is 72 percent cocoa and made by the California-based Guittard.
Other offerings include a s’mores bar where the marshmallow filling is melted by a blowtorch, frozen hot chocolate and frozen s’mores.
“We can’t keep them in stock,” Ms. Gappelberg said of the latter.
They are also known for their chocolate bars which include a peanut butter and jelly version made with peanut butter mouse and raspberry påté.
The Gappelberg family, which lives in East Quogue and also includes sons Austin and Grant as well as daughter Chloe, said Hampton Chocolate Factory was a near immediate success in Westhampton Beach. A North Fork location, it seemed, was a natural progression for the business which was born as an online retailer.
“Greenport is much busier [than Westhampton Beach],” Mr. Gappelberg said. “The idea was we needed to take this concept and push it to the next level. Greenport is becoming a foodie haven and we fit in perfectly with that.”
Although the Greenport location has not yet opened, the Gappelbergs said it will have an almost identical look and feel to their South Fork locale. There the sleek interior features a white-paneled counter with a black top bar. Bright red chandeliers hang above. It’s a touch of a flare and a nod to the power color of Ms. Gappelberg’s late father Sidney Weber.
The business grew after Mr. Weber died in 2014 and Ms. Gappelberg found she needed a creative emotional outlet. The company’s logo, which features a red diamond, the Montauk Lighthouse, a seagull and ocean waves, is a testament to her father appreciation of the finer things in life.
“There’s a lot of passion and love here,” Ms. Gappelberg said. “He was always about the best in life. This is channeling my energy into something beautiful.”
Hampton Chocolate Factory, 117 Main Street, Greenport. (800) 861-0080. hamptonchocolatefactory.com, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days per week.
