Friday, November 13, 2015

Candy boutique for grown-ups headed to Bethesda Row (Photos)

Sugarfina, "a candy boutique for grownups," will open this holiday season at 4808 Bethesda Avenue. The space was just vacated by Knits, Etc. 

Despite national and local efforts to demonize sugary snacks, it appears the market for such treats is booming rather than shrinking. A similar store, also offering an international selection of sweets, just opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda.

Sugarfina is based in Southern California, and already has a location at a sister Federal Realty property, Santana Row. In contrast to Lolli and Pops' curation of famous brands from around the world, Sugarfina touts its candies as being made exclusively for their shops by top candy makers. Many are imports from countries like Germany, Italy and Greece.

Willy Wonka is another thread in the new Bethesda candy boom. Yesterday, I compared Lolli and Pops to a small-scale version of the famous Wonka factory. Sugarfina's genesis came from a screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on the co-founders' third date.

The company also donates some of its proceeds to a variety of charities, including KIVA and local tree-planting initiatives.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The company also donates some of its proceeds to a variety of charities, including KIVA and local tree-planting initiatives."

How about research on diabetes and obesity?

G. Money said...

Candy for grownups? Do they mean edibles?

Anonymous said...

G. Money, you can suck my lollipop for free anytime :) ;)

Anonymous said...

More relentlessly positive coverage of the junk food industry.

G. Money said...

7:43, sorry, you can't even give that away.

Anonymous said...

Who posted it first, Dyer or "The Beat"?!? Some birdbrain must be plagiarizing!

Anonymous said...

Anecdotally the industry is doing well based on your personal observations of two stores in an affluent area? Anyone have statistics to validate this opinion?

Anonymous said...

Have Riemer or Leventhal banned candy yet?
They love to ban stuff.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:03 PM - What exactly have they "banned"? You sound like someone whose thought is limited to soundbites from talk radio.

Anonymous said...

Trans-fats in restaurants. Styrofoam. E-cigarettes in public.

Anonymous said...

You miss having trans-fats in your restaurant food? Wow.

Anonymous said...

^^^ instigator
Check your reading comprehension.
@ 9:19AM was obviously listing things banned in the county.
Who said anything about missing anything?


Anonymous said...

Well, if he's upset that they are banned, then he obviously misses them.

Anonymous said...

It's easy to ban; harder to create.

Robert Dyer said...

11:02: Actually, I do. That's simply not government's place, to be telling chefs what the recipe can be. Ridiculous.

Betsy said...

Right. Just like telling a landowner what kind of retail they have to put in their building. Ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

"Betsy"
No, it's more like telling a retailer what shoes they are allowed to sell.

Anonymous said...

Same difference, "anonymous"