In 1982, Susan and Jonathan Dick, married with a 2 year old, opened Sweet's on Deerpath in Lake Forest, Illinois. That store, with its wooden floors and cheerful yellow-stenciled walls, was an immediate hit.
Jonathan made chocolate candies in an oversized copper kettle set near the store window, Susan stocked penny candies displayed in wooden apple bucket fixtures and they both served ice cream at an old-fashioned counter with white wire backed chairs. The décor was reminiscent of a summer resort ice cream store found along a Door Count or Lake Geneva main street.
In the summer months, kids rode their bikes, parked them outside and flocked to buy the penny candies. Families lingered on Deerpath or strolled Market Square with ice cream cones in hand.
Twenty-four years later, Sweet's now located on the corner of Deerpath and Bank Lane has evolved into an elegant store with dark wood fixtures and floors, burnt yellow walls and a large white tiled and stainless steel kitchen with fudge and caramel making machines and three 125-pound chocolate melting machines. The original copper candy kettle is still there.
Sweet's toffee is renown for its quality and given by many companies as corporate gifts.
Susan has a knack for arranging unique gift baskets that include either plush animals or decorative plates wrapped with their chocolates. She minds the store with attention to detail and during their busy holiday period keep track of hundred of supplying vendors needed to make their products.
The Dicks look to further their hometown success through Sweet's web site and focusing additional attention on corporate sales. They fill both corporate and individual gift orders to all 50 states.
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