There’s a new sweet spot in Merrimack – the Chocolate Cafe is the place to linger a while on the second floor of Swan Chocolates.

A full renovation of the upper-level space, a part of the 1840s historical building, is complete. Chocolate lovers from Merrimack and elsewhere are finding their way to the cozy enclave – one offering free WiFi. The space is ideal for meetings with friends, corporate gatherings, bridal showers and other functions.

Swan Chocolates, owned by Michael and Theresa Anderson, won Best of NH honors in the 2011 contest hosted by New Hampshire Magazine. The shop is across from Watson Park. Next door to the shop is the Merrimack Fire Rescue Department. A nearby side street is a conduit linking Swan’s store with Merrimack High School, Town Hall and the court house.

A recent snowfall was reason enough for some patrons to order steaming cups of hot chocolate and head upstairs to the cafe. Some, despite the chill outdoors, chose freshly made Italian gelato – an icy favorite that at Swan is available all year long.

Kylie Jackson, 9, a fourth grader from Merrimack, toted upstairs a Belgian Chocolate gelato, a finely whipped ice-cream-like concoction. She and her grandfather, “Popi,” make visits there a part of their quality-time activities.

“I like it here because I can enjoy a special time with my Popi,” Kylie said. “It’s really comfortable here.”

Swan Chocolates, which makes its treats in-house behind a glass wall that makes viewing the process an added attraction, is well known for its many, and mostly gluten-free, products. The temptations range from fresh, preservative-free, gourmet chocolates to pastries, cookies, cakes and chocolate popcorn.

Wedding favors made of chocolate, chocolate truffles and chocolate novelties always are in demand. Online ordering is popular and a Swan Perks sweet-rewards program accrues points for enrollees who indulge in e-mail-based promotions, referrals to their friends, posts on Facebook and tags on Twitter.

The second-floor café area offers six distinct seating areas furnished in inviting décor. A fireplace crowns the space. A retro-look area nearby boasts a vintage coffee table with a round top made of iridescent abalone shells encased in crystal resin. The table belonged to Michael’s grandmother.

The Andersons, parents of Lilly, 5, and Jack, 18 months old, said the retro-look area is a favorite for couples. Another area with furnishings resembling a rustic lodge includes leather lounge chairs. Antique silver lamps and other of Theresa’s aged treasures decorate spaces elsewhere, yet the area is child-friendly and warm.

A conference area with a long wooden table and matching wooden chairs drew another pair of patrons to their mission – a monthly business meeting.

Sherrill St. Germain, a Hollis resident and certified financial planner who heads New Means Financial Planning, has visited the Chocolate Cafe four times since Christmas. She was meeting there with first-time visitor Sue West, an Amherst resident who owns Space 4 U, a professional organizing service operating throughout New Hampshire.

“I bought chocolate-covered graham crackers,” West said. “I bought four but only one is going to make it home.”

St. Germain, meanwhile, said she made short work of a chocolate muffin but admitted her first love is Swan’s handmade gelato.

“When I realized they had gelato here and that they have it all the time, not just during the summer, it was a case of, ‘Let’s get over there!’” St. Germain said.

Two high school juniors seated nearby concurred. Christine Merchant and Marissa Lynch said they find the cafe an ideal place to relax after school. Merchant had a triple-layered gelato – orange, mixed berry and grapefruit. Lynch preferred the delights of a double-chocolate muffin.

“It’s just a nice place to come after school,” Lynch said.

“Good is good,” Merchant said. “Everything here is good and the people who work here are so nice.”

Theresa Anderson said she and her husband are well pleased with the kudos. She said they took extreme care to preserve the old-time atmosphere of the building, a red brick structure whose original brickwork has been preserved in several areas.

The building for years, said Theresa Anderson, was the W. S. Abbot Daisy Store. The place was a market space where people came to enjoy shopping and dances and games of whist. The fish-and-game people met there, too, and hosted game suppers.

“We basically tried to pay homage to the original traditions,” Theresa said. “The cafe has many unusual accents. An original wooden door and a large, wood-cased window frame with stenciled glass are incorporated into the cafe’s decor.”

Comments concluded, Theresa Anderson hurried off to join her husband in preparing chocolate treats for one of the busiest times of year – the Valentine’s Day holiday. She was carrying a tray of fragrant, raspberry truffles.

For more information about Swan Chocolates, 436 Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, visit SwanChocolates.com or by call 423-5950.