Everything except chocolate.

“This is an inflation proof business,” said Suzanne Suther, who owns a Boehms franchise in Poulsbo. “Our numbers are not down at all from last year. It just gets busier.”

Economic misfortunes and belt-tightening might even benefit the chocolate business around the holidays. This is the time for bonuses, but most employers can’t afford an extra week’s salary, or even the extra $50 they slipped into the stocking two years ago.

Employees, certainly, would rather have the cash, But while a $10 bill is a stiff reminder of bad times, the equivalent in chocolate shows that the boss cares enough to offer some kind of special holiday wish. And high-class truffles may be something you wouldn’t think to get for yourself.

Chocolate gift boxes have always been a Christmas staple. Many of us have fond memories of yellow sampler boxes and chasing after (or avoiding) certain types. This wasn’t always gratifying, because once you bit in to a certain piece you were stuck if it was the wrong one. Boehms’ world is a little different: While standard samplers are available, you can also make a custom selection that only has the pieces that you really like.

Suther said a gift of chocolate should be tailored to the recipients taste. If there are no clues, she said that, in her experience, most men like nuts and chews.

Chocolate, Suther said, is even becoming a social centerpiece. Many people are having “wine and chocolate” parties with disparate samples of the two indulgences. It might cost a little more for Boehms to cater such an event than getting a deli tray at Albertsons, but the event would be one that the attendees remember.

Suther first discovered the power of gift chocolate decades ago. Her husband, in the plumbing supply business, would give his customers liquor every Christmas. One year she suggested that he give chocolate instead, as it was something everyone could enjoy. She drove over to Boehm’s Issaquah location and filled her car with packages for distribution to her husband’s gift list. The next year, the customers stated asking for the chocolate well before the holiday season began.

The “everyone can enjoy” concept has evolved since Suther’s epiphany.

Then, the target group was teetotalers and children. Today, this legion of non-drinkers has grown, to the point where office parties are serving a lot more cranberry juice than Dubonnet. It has become a health issue, and you no longer have to explain why you don’t drink.

The other health issue, weight, offers an easy way to decline chocolate. This, according to Suther, is the refusal less taken (but perhaps contributes to the idea of a “truffle suitcase,” two pieces of high class chocolate in a small box that is a lot less fattening than a whole sampler).

“Chocolate is a luxury that you allow yourself,” Suther said. “It can always cheer you up if you are a little down or make a rainy day a little bit brighter.”.