Sweet Collective
Slated to open in early October, Sweet Collective is actually three businesses under one roof, sharing a small, clean white storefront with a single cash register and one table. Cathay Rayhill, operating as the Sugar Syndicate, makes cakes and miniature pastries. Lauren Pett, under the banner Rich Chocolates and Candies, is all about truffles. Alison Bower’s Ruth and Phil’s Gourmet Ice Cream produces high-end ice creams and sorbets. Though the businesses are legally separate, each woman says she’s prepared to sell and answer questions about the others’ creations.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Pett sees herself providing “an upscale candy store for grown-ups.” Her chocolates include a collection based on Chicago neighborhoods: the Chinatown truffle combines dark chocolate, orange, and sesame; the Devon Street is milk chocolate infused with garam masala. The Gold Coast truffle is “a little tongue-in-cheek”: champagne and dark chocolate dusted with edible gold. She also does truffles based on classic desserts, including a bananas Foster, a pecan pie, and a German chocolate cake.
