Fast Forward: Women of Fast Casual

Is Chicago's Hey Sugar as good as it looks?

Sarika Singh has opened Hey Sugar, a fast casual bakery in Geneva, Illinois.

July 28, 2020

"Hey, Sugar" is no longer only a term of endearment; it's a fast casual bakery in Geneva, Illinois, and the creation of Owner Sarika Singh, who opened the bakery last week after buying The Latest Crave Cupcake & English Toffee Shop from two moms. Singh, who had been managing and operating The Latest Crave storefront and business, moved the bakery to a larger location, refined some of the shop's original recipes and added a few of her own to create Hey Sugar.

"With the desire to bring in exclusive product offerings and premium ingredients, we needed to move to a larger space," Singh said in a company press release."We are a playfully sophisticated bakery centered around making memories, and our new look and name convey that. Hey Sugar now reflects our spirit and ideas, and we can't wait for the community to see what's new."

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Meet the "Mini cloud" cupcake! #heysugar #heysugargeneva #genevail #desserts #cupcakes

A post shared by Hey Sugar - Geneva, IL (@heysugar.geneva) on Jul 26, 2020 at 12:56pm PDT

The menu
Guests may choose from a mix of cupcakes, pastries, English Toffee, as well as beverage options including unique teas from the Rare Tea Cellar and the Hey Sugar-branded coffee from Dillanos Coffee Roasters in Seattle. Rounding out the menu is a selection of soft-serve options featuring a special dairy mix exclusive to the area with vegan options available. Flavors include distinctive choices like lavender, sage, turmeric and charcoal as well as toppings like edible 24-carat gold, cotton candy, cake and frosting and a dog-friendly option.

The team has partnered with Pastry Chef Jimmy MacMillan, who has more than 20 years of kitchen experience and is known for his inventive and wild desserts. He has been nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef and was named a "Chicago Rising Star Pastry Chef" by Starchefs.com. MacMillan has worked closely with top chefs, including Graham Elliot and Curtis Duffy, during his time as the executive pastry chef at Avenues in the five-star five-diamond Peninsula Chicago.

The Space
Hey Sugar, 507 S. Third St., Suite E, looks like a floral wonderland, and that's because Singh's design inspiration were her trips to the flower markets in London and Paris. A large pastry case greets guests as they enter, and seating includes a pergola inside with delicate bistro tables and chairs, swing chair. A bathtub makes the perfect photo opp, said Singh, who hopes the counter seating along the floor-to-ceiling windows will invite guests to linger over their desserts. Lastly, a large-scale ice cream cone and a floral explosion pop out of the walls to round out the bold decor.

Singh, however, will redo the interior decor every six to eight months to give visitors a new experience on a regular basis and hopes to franchise within one year. As an Asian-American with children, her goal is to develop a concept that would be an inspiration for anyone, especially BIPOC mothers, who are looking to carve out their entrepreneurial path.

"I want to make sure that this first location is set up perfectly, and all the kinks are out before we start to multiply," she told FastCasual. "Quality and service have to be perfected."

Editor's note: This is part of a reoccurring feature called Fast Forward: "Women of Fast Casual." If you would like to be considered for this feature, please send email to Editor@FastCasual.com

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