Elyissia Wassung, co-owner of 2 Chicks with Chocolate, helps a patron at the shop on Main Street in South River on Feb. 3. Wassung left her telecom job to immerse herself in the world of chocolate, partnering with her mother, Barbara. PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff SOUTH RIVER — At a time when many small businesses were closing their doors, Elyissia Wassung was opening hers.

That was in 2009, when Wassung launched 2 Chicks with Chocolate. She first opened a 2,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on Martin Avenue, and this past December opened a retail store on Main Street.

The retail store, Wassung said, isn’t a typical confectionary.

“It looks like it’s something out of Manhattan,” she said .

The chocolates, too, are high end. Spices and chocolate are both imported, because Wassung said she, along with 2 Chicks’ master chocolatier Patrick Coston — who some may know as a judge from “Food Network Challenge” on television — are looking to create superior products. For instance, the company makes more than 40 flavors of bonbons, one of its most popular products.

Above left: Barbara Ferrante gift-wraps a box of chocolates at the mother-daughter shop on Feb. 3. The goal at 2 Chicks with Chocolate, according to Elyissia Wassung, is to bring inspiration through chocolate. Wassung, one of the two “chicks,” got the idea for the business from the other “chick,” her mom, Barbara, who for a time made chocolates out of a slow cooker at the family’s Queens, N.Y., home, when Elyissia was a child.

Wassung initially started out with a corporate telecom job but found the world of chocolate far more appealing, and leveraged her corporate knowledge to create a solid foundation for the business.

Before bringing them to market, Wassung said a great deal of research goes into her products.

“We do a lot of research and development here,” she said. She has learned a lot from Coston, she said, and has attended specialty courses on chocolate manufacturing. She also closely monitors customers’ feedback, and even watches their reactions when they taste something.

“It’s a lot of trial and error,” she said.

She has attracted a number of corporate clients, including Morgan Stanley and the national “Got Milk?” campaign. Many of her clients discovered 2 Chicks through word of mouth. In addition, before opening the retail store, Wassung was selling chocolate through her website, as well as through specialty markets like casinos.

With the shop open in time for Valentine’s Day, patrons can come in and sample the goods, such as champagne ganache, fig caramel and hazelnut praline.

Wassung said she’s always looking for new ways to meet customer demand. For instance, she plans to add ice cream to the roster in the summer, complementing the coffee and fresh cupcakes. There’s also a separate space for parties, where Wassung can engage in one of her passions — educating others about chocolate. “We’re really about the experience,” she said.

She’s also looking to franchise the business.

“We’re in negotiations to open a second location in mid-summer in Monmouth County,” she said. There won’t be anything made on location in that store; Wassung said retaining control of 2 Chicks’ intellectual property is paramount.

But South River is a great location for headquarters, she said, adding that it is both “strategically located” and “off the beaten path.” In a down economy, she said, it made far more sense to set up operations here, as opposed to, say, Manhattan.

“We had to really play it safe,” she said. “We need to be able to manage it.”

Wassung lives in Piscataway, and her mother is a resident of Manalapan.

“It’s been great having it local. The town has been so good to us,” Wassung said of South River.

Since the business has been expanding, Wassung has found herself in the somewhat unique position of being a small business owner who is hiring. She’s currently looking for both interns and chocolatiers.

“We’re just real people creating jobs,” she said.

And what does the other “chick” think of all of this?

“I think sometimes she’s overwhelmed,” Wassung said of her mother, but added that as a daughter, she’s proud that she was able to take her mother’s idea and turn it into a viable business. She said she’s grateful for the sacrifices her mom, a single mother, made raising her; and now her mother is able to reap the benefits of such things as an appearance for the business on Fox Business Network. “It makes my heart smile,” Wassung said.

2 Chicks with Chocolate will have expanded hours for Valentine’s Day starting Feb. 9.

“We have some really fun stuff for Valentine’s Day,” she said.

An official grand opening is planned for March 5.

Wassung also will be speaking to the Brunswick Women’s Connection on Feb. 15 at The Chateau in East Brunswick, where a tasting will be offered. In addition, Wassung will hold an event Feb. 17 at La Tavola Cucina in South River. There will be a special dinner menu, and Wassung will pair wines with chocolate.

To find out more about 2 Chicks with Chocolate, visit 2chickswithchocolate.com or call 888-896-2449.