Bon Bons Chocolatier Is A One-Stop Shop
/By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
Co-owners of Bon Bons Chocolatier, Mary Alice and Susannah Meinersman, are preparing for the Easter season with armies of chocolate bunnies and chocolate bunny pops.
With a variety of chocolates, candy and gift items, Bon Bons Chocolatier in Huntington village offers a one-stop shopping experience for those looking to arrange the perfect gift, while offering a sneak peek at the magic behind the counter through window displays.
“They can really see that we make it here, and the smell is wonderful, especially when we’re cooking,” said Mary Alice Meinersman, co-owner with her daughter Susannah Meinersman. “That’s the first thing everybody mentions when they come in here.”
Offering handmade chocolates with fillings like cream, truffle, fruit, peanut butter, nut and mints, Bon Bons (319 Main St.) also handcrafts its own peanut brittle, marshmallow, fudge, white chocolate popcorn and caramel corn.
Along with a variety of gifts to choose from, customers can make their purchase more personal with the addition of items like a stuffed animal, a coffee mug, candles, home décor and cards. Whether it’s birthdays, graduations, weddings and more, Bon Bons can create party favors for every theme and every holiday.
With trending items like truffles and sea salt caramels, Bon Bons sells a pound of chocolate for $36, said Susannah, who lives in Huntington village. She said the objective at Bon Bons is to “create it, wrap it and sell it,” along with accommodating their customers.
Mary Alice, of Huntington Station, added, “You never know what you’re going to find” here.
The store first opened on New York Avenue in 1979. Mary Alice had worked under a different owner before purchasing the business in 1984. When the lease expired in 1994, she moved the business to its 4,200-square-foot spot on Main Street.
With the larger location, Bon Bons began to offer more to its customers, and slowly started building up the gift aspect of the store, Susannah said.
“Now we have a lot more things than we ever had,” Mary Alice said.
Currently, Bon Bons is prepping for Easter, creating armies of chocolate bunnies, and Easter eggs filled with either maple walnut, coconut, peanut butter French chocolate and more.
“All the chocolates, candy and things like that are very seasonal so there’s a whole new group of products that come out,” Susannah said, including chocolate bunnies which Bon Bons can make chocolate up to 3.5 feet long.
To keep up with the changing seasons, Mary Alice and Susannah employ a team of 15 part-time and full-time employees for the holidays. Mary Alice said one person could never do it all.
“It really is a team effort,” she said. “We have a wonderful team of candy makers, assistants and molders that have been with us for a very long time.”
Mary Alice added, “We trying to create an atmosphere in the store that people will feel inspired not only to buy but enjoy the new season and to savor it. That’s why we work so hard in decorating and in changing things so people really be lifted when they come in. They do appreciate that we make it special.”
Bon Bons Chocolatier
319 Main St., Huntington
631-549-1059
BonBonsChocolatier.com
