Handcrafted Chocolate Opens New Jersey-Based Store After Four Years of E-Commerce Business

POINT PLEASANT, NJ, November 12, 2025 – After four years of operating as an e-commerce business, the woman-owned Handcrafted Chocolate is opening its first brick-and-mortar store in Point Pleasant on November 15th. The new storefront is located at 2804 Bridge Ave.

Founded by New Jersey-born and based pastry chef Lauren Klein, Handcrafted Chocolate creates small-batch, artisanal, hand-painted bonbons and filled chocolate bars in unique, rotating flavors. Chef Klein uses ethically sourced chocolate and fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

"Opening this store is a dream come true," said Chef Klein, Founder and Owner of Handcrafted Chocolate. "This is something I have wanted and hoped for since I was a kid, watching the Food Network with my family."

The storefront will sell the company's flagship decorated bonbons, candy bars, cordial cherries, crunchy peanut butter cups, chocolate caramels, and more. The products will be available for purchase individually as well as in assorted boxes of various sizes. In time for the holiday season, Handcrafted Chocolate is taking presale orders for Advent Calendars that include 25 bonbons to count down to Christmas. The featured seasonal flavors include Eggnog, Sour Cherry Pistachio, Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Cookies 'n Cream, and more. The presale item will be ready for store pickup the week of November 24th. They are also available for purchase online and ship nationwide.

Handcrafted Chocolate took off in February of 2021, during the pandemic's hot cocoa bomb craze. Chef Klein initially started working out of her parents' kitchen but quickly moved into a commercial space, launching 10 flagship bonbon flavors that September.

Chef Klein discovered her love for baking in a culinary program at Freehold High School and interned for Johnny Iuzzini at Jean Georges during her junior year, allowing her to experience the industry firsthand. She then went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management from Johnson and Wales University. Post-graduation, Chef Klein worked in a number of notable kitchens, including Daniel Meyer's Blue Smoke and Maialino inside the Gramercy Park Hotel. She also worked for an e-commerce business called Gotham Cookies, which shipped confections across the country on Goldbelly.

Most recently, Chef Klein helped open the Heirloom Kitchen at The St. Laurent, which was in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and was regularly considered among the best in the state. Chef Klein competed in the 2024 National Pastry Conference Chocolatier Competition and won 1st Place in her category. She recently appeared as a contestant on Food Network's Spring Baking Championship Season 11 (aired in March 2025).

The brand and Jersey Shore storefront is a local labor of love. Chef Klein commissioned a mural painted inside the store with local artist Abigail Lydick. Seasonal offerings, including Cherry Cordials, are made using hand-picked fruit from Battleview Orchards in Freehold. Custom cabinetry was created for the space by Alternative Air & Store Fixtures in Mount Laurel. Before a storefront crossed her mind, Chef Klein frequently popped up at local establishments like The Baker's Grove in Shrewsbury.

"I am proud to be from the Jersey Shore and love highlighting everything local we have to offer here," continued Chef Klein. "I am all about sourcing from local establishments and farms, including a local honey produced right here in Tinton Falls by E&M Gold Beekeepers."

For more information about Handcrafted Chocolate, or to purchase products, visit their website.

About Handcrafted Chocolate

Handcrafted Chocolate was created in 2021 by Lauren Klein, a New Jersey-born and based pastry chef. Her company makes artisan handcrafted confections through sustainable means in small batches. The chocolates are produced using ethically sourced chocolate combined with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Handcrafted Chocolate's goal is to always provide the best, highest-quality chocolates and confections to enhance people's lives through unforgettable flavor experiences. Each of their delectable creations is guaranteed to please every palate.