A storefront in the Uptown District that has long remained vacant is undergoing a sweet makeover by a gay couple who will bring to Hillcrest something few of us can resist – handmade chocolates.

Mike Finnegan and his partner of 24 years, Greg Gorman, both quit their jobs in New York City last year and migrated to San Diego in search of a career change. Finnegan worked in computer technology for Reuters, and Gorman taught deaf students in New York City’s public schools. Their quest to do something “very different” is about to materialize when they open the neighborhood’s first Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory between Oct. 15 and 17.

The 1,500-square-foot shop, adjacent to Wells Fargo, will boast a copper kettle and marble slab for chocolate-making in the front window along with an oversized fuzzy brown bear perched on an outdoor bench, which serves as the company’s mascot.

“We looked at the food industry here and started conducting research on what other types of franchises existed in the area. We found there was little competition in the chocolate business,” says Finnegan.

The Colorado-based company specializes in an assortment of fudge and chocolates, plus caramel-dipped fruits that are made on the premises in nearly 200 shops throughout the U.S. And though the franchise dictates a specific set of operating instructions and inventory, the couple has been given leeway to run their business slightly outside of the box.

For instance, the shop will carry three different types of chocolate fondue that can be taken out or eaten inside — a completely new concept for the 23-year-old company. The varieties, devised by Finnegan and Gorman, come in Hawaiian (served with pineapple, kiwi and bananas), California (with strawberries, apples and peaches) and the All American (with sponge cake, marshmallows and strawberries). They will each sell for $6.95 per person.

Finnegan is also adding a few café tables to the interior blueprint once construction is completed. And he says the shop will be “dog-friendly,” referring to a line of bone-shaped treats dipped in white chocolate. Milk chocolate, he points out, is lethal for canines.

Additionally, everyone that drops in will always get some sort of free sample — a bite of sheet chocolate, a nibble of dark, milk or sugar-free chocolate, or perhaps a piece of old-fashioned Divinity — that classic conglomeration of white chocolate and nuts that Finnegan quips, “has been around for 100 years.”

Perhaps the biggest product draw so far has been the company’s “chocolate business cards,” which Finnegan pre-introduced at a networking group and mixer for the Greater San Diego Business Association this month. A mold is first made from a customer’s business card, then filled with chocolate and packaged in a bronze-colored box that easily fits into the pockets of potential clients. “We already have 10 orders for them, and we’re not even open yet,” he says while confidently overseeing the interior design of the shop.

“We chose a good location based on the amount of foot traffic in the area,” he adds. “And the company’s franchise office in Colorado is well aware of Hillcrest — and they knew that we wanted to stay on the beaten track within the GLBT community. They’ve been very supportive and open.”

The shop is taking shape at 1220 Cleveland Ave., M-111. For more information, call (619) 546-4086.