A Sweet Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day Lincoln Square!

In accordance with the holiday’s theme of all things love, pink and sweet, I immediately knew the perfect business to highlight this week. Sweet Collective is made up of two separate businesses that come together to share work space. I had the opportunity to chat with half of the dynamic duo -- Lauren Pett, founder and owner of Rich Chocolates & Candies.

As luck would have it, I arrived just as she started boxing up a tray of her Valentine’s Day Truffles. An original recipe of Lauren’s, the Valentine’s Day truffle consists of real organic strawberries smothered in dark chocolate. As if that weren’t scrumptious enough, the truffles are rolled in red velvet crumbs courtesy of Angel Food Bakery.

Pett shares with me that she opened up Rich in 2007 after attending pastry school and working for a year and a half. Previously an art student with an unfulfilling series of office jobs, the idea to start a chocolate and candy making business came from Pett's desire to make people happy and a wish to make chocolate all day. After she, “got laid off before it was cool,” Lauren just decided to go for it.

During pastry school all Lauren really wanted to focus on was chocolate making. When I ask her if she works primarily from recipes or inspiration, Pett explains that chocolate making, like baking, is a science and that once the basic formulas are mastered, innovations and deviations can be made. So while Lauren works from recipes, she adds her own personal flair to every kind of chocolate and candy produced.

Speaking of personal flair, Lauren shares with me a couple favorite mouthwatering treats that she makes. She advises me to try the Honey Almond Toffee and the Honey and Sea Salt Pecan Truffles. Both of these sound to die for.

I wisely move away from the subject of sweets before I start to noticeably drool and ask Lauren what she does with her time off. She continues to package the huge tray of Valentine’s Day truffles and informs me that she is an avid Glee fan and loves to watch the Food Network. Since she loves food, Pett expresses interest in exploring the area for new restaurants and pastry shops. During the Christmas season however, Lauren is usually so busy at Sweet Collective, that her time off is spent cleaning and doing laundry.

I wrap up the interview with an inquiry about Pett’s favorite parts about Lincoln Square and the Chamber. Lauren smiles as she tells me that she loves how friendly and cute the Square is. She admires that the people who live and shop in Lincoln Square know what they want and appreciate quality. “This is a great community to have a business in,” Lauren tells me, “the Chamber is so supportive and businesses are so supportive of each other.”

It goes without saying that everyone loves chocolate now and then (or all the time). Lauren Pett caters to everyone’s basic chocolate needs with creative and epicurean confections. Her products can be found at Tracy Kellner’s, Provenance Food and Wine. I have also listed the website and contact information below with my highest recommendations as a self proclaimed chocolate connoisseur.

Website: www.richchocolates.com
Phone: 312.316.8683
Email: lauren@richchocolates.com

Sweet Collective
5333 N. Lincoln Ave

Submitted by Carly