Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Edelson.
Hi Nicole, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi, I’m Nicole — owner of Jersey Girl Chocolate, a proudly woman-owned New Jersey gourmet chocolate brand built on quality, connection, and pride.
After many years in education, life called me in a different direction. When my youngest son was diagnosed with autism, our family’s priorities shifted. We committed ourselves fully — learning, growing, and ensuring we were present for every step of his journey. Shortly after, as my father battled leukemia in the spring of 2024, I felt time in a way I never had before. Having lost my mother and brother when I was young, I understood deeply how precious time with family truly is.
I stepped away from my career with clarity: I wanted no regrets.
In that season of reflection and transition, I found Jersey Girl Chocolate. I connected with the former owner, met the customers, and drove across the entire state delivering chocolate — all while imagining what the future of the brand could become. What began as a business opportunity quickly became something more: a chance to build a life that allowed me to be present for my family while growing a brand rooted in joy, quality, and connection.
With the help of an old high school friend who owns a graphic design company, Local Summer, we thoughtfully evolved the brand to reflect the future I envisioned. We launched our Chocolate Cruiser with celebration and smiles in mind and introduced our events chapter that very fall. I was hired sight unseen for a bat mitzvah — our inaugural ride — and we have not looked back since.
Jersey Girl Chocolate has been built brick by brick through the support of others willing to help, trust, and take a chance on something new. There is nothing more powerful than people cheering you on and rooting for your success. I am deeply grateful for every person who believed in us.
This winter, we opened our little chocolate shop in our hometown of Basking Ridge — a warm, welcoming space for neighbors, their children, and anyone who loves supporting small business. It is heartwarming to watch adults pick out their favorite chocolates or see kids carefully choosing gifts for someone they love. In a time when the world can feel divided, community matters more than ever. In our shop, all are welcome.
Today, alongside my husband Peter, I’m proud to continue evolving Jersey Girl Chocolate into a brand people instantly recognize and trust. Our mission is simple: create exceptional chocolate and build something meaningful — for our customers, our community, and our family.
Jersey Girl Chocolate isn’t just a name. It represents resilience, pride, and the sweet moments that matter most.
Our son is thriving, along with his four siblings — we’re just a typical New Jersey family doing our best each day. And I have a feeling my dad would be very proud.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every small business faces obstacles. Ours began before the ink was even dry.
The legalities of purchasing a business are complex on their own. Add to that the transition from group health coverage to navigating self-employed healthcare in this country — with two sons who have unique medical needs — and it can feel overwhelming. It was scary. It was complicated. And it required courage.
During the very months I was working alongside the previous owner to learn the business and transition ownership, my father’s health was declining rapidly. I spent Father’s Day in the hospital with him, and the entire following week by his side while he was on hospice. That week gave us the gift of time. We said everything that needed to be said. My five children were able to say goodbye to their beloved grandfather. It was heartbreaking — and it was an honor.
After he passed, life did not pause. We emptied the contents of my childhood home. We met with lawyers. We finalized the business purchase. We raised our children. And we carried on.
My friends kept me afloat — showing up with meals, a six-pack, or their truck to help haul away forty-five years of memories. My husband handled the legal intricacies of purchasing the business and was my steady anchor through it all.
It has been nearly two years since that summer, and here we are — growing and thriving.
Entrepreneurship comes with challenges. But perspective changes everything. Most business obstacles pale in comparison to poor health or losing someone you love. That season taught us resilience, gratitude, and how powerful balance truly is.
Thankfully, I’m married to a level-headed New Yorker who approaches challenges with precision — balancing his passionate Jersey Girl wife who occasionally leads with emotion. Together, that balance has carried our family and our business forward.
As you know, we’re big fans of Jersey Girl Chocolate LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Jersey Girl Chocolate is more than a chocolate company — it’s an experience rooted in community, celebration, and that unmistakable New Jersey energy.
We specialize in elevated, crave-worthy gourmet chocolate with bold branding and a personality people instantly recognize. Our products are carried by a strong wholesale network across the state, and our retail shop in Basking Ridge has become a warm, welcoming destination for neighbors looking for something sweet.
What truly sets us apart is the experience.
Our Chocolate Cruiser — a custom-designed mobile chocolate bike — brings joy directly to the community. From bat mitzvahs and weddings to corporate events and neighborhood celebrations, the Cruiser turns dessert into a moment. It’s interactive, nostalgic, and unexpectedly fun. We serve both hand scooped ice cream, and our gourmet chocolates directly from our bike. Watching guests light up as they choose their ice cream or chocolate never gets old.
We’re proud of the feeling behind the brand. Jersey Girl Chocolate captures that bold, loyal, hardworking, celebratory spirit that defines New Jersey. It’s local pride without being loud about it. It’s polished but never pretentious. It’s chocolate that feels joyful and approachable.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that we’ve built something people trust — retailers who reorder, families who return, and event hosts who want us back year after year. We’ve grown brick by brick through relationships and word of mouth, which feels very “Jersey” in the best way.
At the end of the day, we create exceptional chocolate — but what we really deliver is connection. A gift picked out carefully. A celebration made sweeter. A community gathering that feels a little more joyful because we were there.
That’s what Jersey Girl Chocolate is all about.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Start before you feel ready. You won’t ever feel fully prepared — and that’s okay.
Find something you genuinely love. This journey will demand long days, hard decisions, financial risk, and emotional resilience. If you don’t care deeply about what you’re building, it will be hard to keep going when it gets tough. When you love it, the work feels meaningful — even on the hard days.
Prioritize your health. Protect your family. Keep perspective.
I started this business during one of the most emotional seasons of my life, and it taught me something I carry with me every day: time is precious. No sale, no milestone, no business win matters more than your people. Build success in a way that allows you to be present for the moments that truly count.
Work hard. Know your numbers. Surround yourself with honest, supportive people. And don’t be afraid to bet on yourself.
You are more capable than you think — and resilience is built by walking through hard things, not avoiding them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jerseygirlchocolate.com
- Instagram: jersey_girl_chocolate_llc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/jerseygirlchocolate
