Just like Fannie May, Frango Mints became a Chicago confectionery icon, one that connected you to the community. So when news broke that Garrett Brands had purchased the brand, it was one of the headlines that makes us hometown cheerleaders nod our head in agreement.
Last Wednesday I was to head to Chicago’s River North neighborhood, check out Sugar Factory’s new brasserie and store, and make eye contact with Backstreet Boy Nick Carter long enough for him to fall in love with me and propose on the spot. Sounds easy, right? Well, two-thirds of it was.
Las Vegas-based Sugar Factory American Brasserie, a restaurant and retail confectionery operation, has opened a new store in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, which is just off Michigan Ave., a stretch commonly referred to as the Magnificent Mile.
The 2,400-sq.-ft. store, located at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, now features an open floor plan and simple, elegant décor meant to draw new and repeat customers to the iconic Chicago brand, owned by 1-800-Flowers.
As one would expect, with the popularity of this year’s team, both products have been top performing items in-store and online, says Dave Taiclet, president of the Gourmet Food Group, 1-800-Flowers. As he points out, Fannie May and the Chicago Cubs are two iconic Chicago brands.
It’s one thing to see honey on supermarket shelves or in favorite snacks and confections, but to taste it fresh from the hive is quite another. I did just that during last month’s Honey Editors Summit, hosted in Chicago by the National Honey Board. The group, which supports honey education and research, took a half-dozen editors around the city to illustrate how honey is used.
I visited the mall on behalf of Candy Industry Magazine to get the latest on Valentine's Day offerings from three confectionery stops: Lindt, Lolli and Pops, and Godiva.