For more than 30 years, Huckleberries Chocolatiers of Canada operated in the South End on Bouchard Street, next to Gloria's Restaurant.
But Denise Regaudie and Marcia Paquette, who have owned the business for 12 years, recently moved their operations to 110 Durham St., next door to Jan Browning Boutique.
They opened their doors in the new location Monday morning, and are planning a grand opening event for this Saturday.
The women say they had no choice but to vacate their previous location, as the building's owners wanted to do something else with the space.
But there are advantages to the situation — their new digs are much larger, giving them room to expand their business.
“We're pretty blessed right now to have this,” Paquette said.
Regaudie and Paquette have spent the past month renovating their new store to reflect their personal style, with touches like bright yellow, comfortable-looking chairs and a wooden door leading to the kitchen.
While they're a bit nervous about moving downtown from the South End — parking is especially a concern — many of their customers have told them they're still planning to frequent the chocolate shop.
And so far, they're encouraged by what they see downtown.
“The fact that we see hundreds of people walking every day is pretty good,” Regaudie said.
Huckleberries is known, first and foremost, for its high-quality, handmade chocolate. It even makes sugar-free, lactose-free and vegan chocolate for those with dietary restrictions.
“We have the best chocolate in town,” Paquette said.
The store also sells Farquhar's ice cream by the scoop, as well as frozen yogurt with fresh fruit, milkshakes, hot drinks and baked goods.
The shop is open six days a week. Operating hours may vary as the women get into the swing of things in their new location, so check their Facebook page or phone them at 705-522-7799 before visiting.
