New Woman-Owned, Basking Ridge Chocolate Shop Highlights Local Goods, Family, Inclusion

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Teacher-turned entrepreneur Nicole Edelson is opening Jersey Girl Chocolate in a historic storefront in Basking Ridge on Saturday.

Jersey Girl Chocolate will host a grand opening at 20 Lewis St. from 12 to 3 p.m. A ribbon-cutting is set for 1 p.m.

The event, hosted jointly with Flowers on the Ridge, which shares the store, will feature a create-your-bouquet bar and discounts.

Edelson, who lives in Basking Ridge, said she wanted a spot in town that felt welcoming and family-friendly while also giving her chocolate business a home.

The shop is within walking distance of Oak Street School, where her younger sons go. Staying in the community where her family lives was important to her.

Edelson had grown up along the Jersey Shore and was a teacher until her father was diagnosed with leukemia. Putting family first, she left her teaching career to be with him.

"It was just really kind of a struggle. So I walked out of my job one day because my father was very ill, and I realized I didn't have a lot of time left with him," said Edelson.

That's when she found that Jersey Girl Chocolate, primarily a wholesale business, was listed for sale and decided to pursue it.

After taking over, Edelson said she saw room to grow beyond wholesale into retail, gifting, weddings and events.

She reworked the branding with help from a high school friend who is a graphic designer and expanded the business with an ice cream bike used for parties.

"Essentially, we can come to parties and serve hand-scooped ice cream, or we give out chocolate. It's a fun little extra," said Edelson.

The new storefront will also carry products from other small New Jersey businesses.

Edelson said she wanted to offer shelf space to independent makers who may not have their own brick-and-mortar locations.

The store includes local products such as skincare, soap, raw honey and other gift items, with a focus on independently owned businesses.

Edelson described the shop as a family business.

Her husband now handles bookkeeping and back-end operations, her sons help with deliveries when they are home from college, and her daughter and her friends work in the store.

Inclusion is a priority for the business.

Edelson said a student from Ridge High School comes to work at the store for a few hours each week, and she wants to create more opportunities for people with disabilities as the business grows.

"My son is autistic. There's not enough job opportunities for people that have disabilities," she said.

Edelson is hoping her business will be an inviting space for all ages of the community. She emphasized how she wanted a place students could come in to shop after school.

With the grand opening approaching, Edelson said having a brick-and-mortar location is "surreal."

"I'm still very close with some of my teachers," said Edelson. "It's funny because I loved teaching, I loved my kids, I loved their families, but I essentially love my family more, and now I'm able to have that flexibility of spending more time with my family and working for myself."

For more information on Jersey Girl Chocolate, visit jerseygirlchocolate.com or facebook.com/jerseygirlchocolate or instagram.com/jersey_girl_chocolate_llc.

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