Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Lei.
Hi Elle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started SUGOi Sweets in 2019 after my previous employer closed. At the time, I was already running an Instagram account under the name SUGOi Sweets to showcase the pastries and confections I made in my spare time. A growing following, along with event planners reaching out to purchase my chocolates, inspired me to turn it into a full-time venture. We built our website, filed the necessary paperwork, designed packaging best suited for our products, and moved into a commercial kitchen in Naperville, Illinois. We started to build our customer-base by attending markets in Chicago.
We also wanted to share our goodies with those outside of Chicago, so we built our business to have an online presence. This turned out to be a great decision when the pandemic hit. The customers we met at markets were able to send gifts to their family and friends during this difficult time of isolation. We also had some nice articles published about us in local media outlets and national food publications. This kept us afloat and allowed us to transition into our next phase following the pandemic.
In 2022, we moved our family home and business to Chicago, opening our first brick-and-mortar shop in the West Town neighborhood. This allowed us to keep our production and retail at the same location. We designed the shop to showcase the bonbons, our star item, but also expand our services to matcha soft serve and high-quality matcha. Both have become popular and serve as perfect complements to our sweet treats.
Starting a food business from scratch is a significant challenge, particularly as a self-taught chocolatier bootstrapping every part of the operation. Despite the technical and operational hurdles, my vision has always been to create beautiful, unique confections that bring people excitement and joy. Through continuous trial and error, we have brought that vision to life, gaining invaluable experience, knowledge, and community support along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Relatively speaking, outside of the pandemic, our journey has been steady. While we experienced patches of increased demand that stressed our production and service staff, our journey has been relatively smooth. However, you never know what each day will bring. We have had equipment failures, power outages, and other things that physical businesses will encounter. Additionally, we continue to face common challenges such as the rising costs across the board.
We also deal with business-specific challenges. For example, our chocolate work is highly technical and requires a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Because the production kitchen is in an older building, it gets very hot in the summer. One summer, we took a short vacation and returned to a powerless thermostat and 95-degree temperatures. We had to throw everything out. But, at the end of the day, these challenges and environmental conditions require us to be creative and flexible.
Additionally, we face uncertainties in our political and geographical environment. Since we import our tea items and chocolate from abroad, we are sensitive to rising costs that are out of our control, such as tariffs and international freight costs. Furthermore, cacao and tea are central to our business but as an agricultural product, have both experienced shortages due to dramatic climate changes over the last few years, causing additional price increases.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At SUGOi Sweets, we are known for our shiny, colorful chocolate bonbons featuring creative flavors and equally vibrant packaging.
As the designer and maker, I oversee all aspects of our products, including the colors, painting styles, flavor compositions, textures, and packaging. Despite the challenges of being a small business, this structure allows us to make bold design decisions while keeping the designs cohesive. We can feature loud, bright colors and prominent designs that echo our own tastes. Furthermore, working directly with our packaging manufacturer enables us to frequently explore new designs while maintaining our core aesthetic.
Each of our bonbons is hand-painted, looks like a piece of art, and features a unique flavor profile. We love introducing exotic and fun flavors, such as Chicago corn and salted egg yolk, making them a truly unique treat for yourself or a wonderful gift for others.
What matters most to you?
To bring unique and beautiful things to the world, and to share unique and joyful experiences with everyone.
Pricing:
- $81 for bonbon box of 24
- $45 for bonbon box of 12
- $23 for bonbon box of 6
- $16 for bonbon box of 4
- $16 for matcha almond dragees
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sugoisweets.com
- Instagram: @sugoi_sweets
