At Lugusta’s Luscious in New Paltz, each piece of chocolate tells a savory story.

“I think when people think about chocolate, they think of like a conveyor belt and like a really automated system, and here, a lot of things are piece by piece,” says Kate Larson, a Lagusta’s Luscious employee. “It’s a lot that goes into each aspect.”

Owner Lagusta Yearwood started the shop to show people that the sweet treats can be made ethically. Everything made at the shop is 100 percent vegan.

“It’s also something that if you look into it more deeply, has really good ethics behind it and something you can really be proud of eating,” Yearwood said.

From concept to creation, each item is hand-made with precision and passion.

“It’s really exciting to make things that bring people so much joy. It’s really cool to be like, ‘I’m going to go to work and I’m going to make sweets, and that’s going to make people happy,’” Larson said.

With dozens of creations, choosing just one piece can be a challenge.

Choco-holics say this sweet shop is unlike any other.

“I’ve been all around the world and I’ve eaten chocolates in every possible place, and actually, these are the best ones,” says customer James Felice. “And it’s weird, because it’s only a 20-minute drive from where I grew up, but it happens to be true.”