A new Griffith bakery specializes in cookies that dwarf a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.
Sugarbutter Bakery recently opened in downtown Griffith, where it’s serving “loaded stuffed cookies” that weigh a third of a pound and other unique treats.
Owner Megan Lopez started baking a few years ago, rented out a commercial kitchen inside a church and then started selling her fresh baked goods at markets across the Midwest. Locally, Sugarbutter Bakery became a staple at the Cedar Lake Farmer’s Market, Hunt and Gather, the Outdoor Farmers Market in Homewood, Urban Farmgirl in Rockford and 3 French Hens French Country Market in Morris, Illinois.
“I was doing cupcakes and cakes for family and friends and they said I should sell them,” she said. “It kind of took off. We did bigger and bigger markets and it became something I could make a career out of. I quit my job. It’s grown enormously from there.”
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She had the opportunity to take over a spot a 109 N. Broad St. in downtown Griffith that was recently home to both French and Argentinian bakeries, taking over what was most recently the Sweet Moon Macaron spot.
“I picked Sugarbutter as a name because it sounded cool, like a classic bakery,” she said. “I didn’t want a weird name or something unprofessional in case I someday had a storefront. We’re pumped to have a storefront now.”
Sugarbutter Bakery makes gourmet cookies, scratch-made pop tarts, macaroons, and gourmet puppy chow at its new brick-and-mortar location.
“I try for fresh new ideas and unique tastes,” Lopez said.
The huge, oversized cookies are stuffed with fillings like Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, Peeps, nuts, cranberries, apples, Honeybuns and Snickerdoodles. Candy is mixed into the dough, and flavors are switched out by the season. Some of the cookies are topped with freshly squeezed lime or stuffed with cake inside. Top sellers include PB Dream and Dirt Don’t Hurt.
“It’s a little bit inspired by Instagram and Pinterest,” she said. “It’s inspired by other bakeries. You see things and it sparks your imagination. You think this would taste good with that.”
It offers non-gluten options as well as seasonal flavors like Cup of Cheer with peppermint, hot chocolate, marshmallows and caramel and Christmas Crack with toffee, milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
All the cookies are sold individually or by the dozen. It takes online orders and ships nationwide.
The storefront caters mainly to to-go customers but has a few seats for dine-in. It serves hot chocolate, coffee and bottled water and plans to add more beverages.
Sugarbutter Bakery plans to add more baked goods over time, including the cupcakes and cakes it originally sold at markets.
“I’d be interested in opening a second location but are just taking it one step at a time,” she said. “I’m just enjoying the growth and being here in this little storefront. Baking allows me to be creative in a way that serves a purpose. It’s therapeutic and a creative outlet.”
Gourmet cookies have been a trend as of late, but Sugarbutter Bakery aims to have unique offerings.
“This is a place where you can try something different,” she said. “There are lots of options and new franchises popping up but this is literally handmade by a local mom with love and care. You can’t find it anywhere else.”
Lopez plans to continue to do markets throughout the year.
“I just love getting out with the live music and fresh air,” she said. “It’s so amazing and a good way to get the word out.”
Sugarbutter Bakery posts its hours every week on Facebook and the door. For more information, visit its Facebook page or call 219-440-2840.
Closed
Sweet Moon Macaron closed its downtown Griffith storefront after a few years.
The small specialty European baker at 109 N. Broad St. sold French macarons in flavors like passion fruit, lemon, lavender lemonade, birthday cake, watermelon, pistachio, thin mint, brownie batter, chunky monkey, dark chocolate raspberry, s’mores, strawberry funnel cake, bomb pop and Nutella. It baked a dozen different flavors fresh daily, even sprinkling its macarons with Fruity Pebbles.
Macarons, the sweet meringue-based sandwich cookie that’s popular in Paris, have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years partly because their uniform size and rainbow variety of bright colors make them eye candy for Instagram, Pinterest and other social media sites.
It was originally located next to Tapas Cafe, allowing people to go full continental by savoring Spanish cuisine and then French dessert.
Open
A new Crumbl cookie bakery opened by Costco in Merrillville Friday.
The Utah-based cookie chain, known for its bright pink boxes and creative flavors, opened at 1600 E. 79th Ave. in a new strip mall at the northwest corner of 79th Avenue and Mississippi Street by the intersection of U.S. 30 and Interstate 65.
Franchise owners Jed and Kate Leifson opened the Region’s latest Crumbl, which employs 40. The chain also has locations in Dyer, Valparaiso and Homewood.
Crumbl has more than 250 flavors of cookies, which rotate weekly. It announces each week’s flavors at 6 p.m. Sunday on its social media accounts.
The Leifsons have moved 11 times in 10 years as Jed was in the U.S. Army and then went to graduate school to become a nurse anesthetist. They ended up settling in Valparaiso, where they plan to plant their roots.
“What we love most about Crumbl is its mission to bring friends and family together over the best box of cookies in the world. We feel so lucky to be part of this community and to help people make good times and treasured memories with our delicious cookies,” Jed Leifson said.
Crumbl started in Logan, Utah in 2017 and has exploded nationally, growing to 900 locations across North America. The Region has seen an influx of Utah-based sweet shops like Crumbl and Twisted Sugar in recent years.
The new Crumbl is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information, visit crumblcookies.com or call 219-444-0944.
Open
Agora Mediterranean Grill is serving up pan-Mediterranean cuisine in Highland.
It took over the former Overstuffed Skillets and Sandwiches location at 3309 45th St., where it’s now offering takeout and will soon add dine-in.
“We’re Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian and a little bit American,” said owner and chef Faisal Shooman. “It’s healthy food with fresh produce that’s made from scratch.”
Shooman, 23, has worked in restaurants since he was a teenager and realized his dream of opening his own place.
“I’m a bit nervous being the owner because you’re responsible for everything,” he said. “It’s a lot on your plate.”
The restaurant serves lemon rice soup, lentil saffron soup, spinach pie, cheese pie, gyros, chicken kebabs, beef tenderloin kebabs, chicken lemonato, grilled salmon, fire-grilled lamb chops, Cajun shrimp, alfredo pasta, chicken parmesan pasta, pitas, burgers, wraps, salads, vegetarian bowls, baba ganoush and hummus. It offers unique flavors to cater to younger diners such as green hummus with herbs and Mediterranean nachos with pumpkin seeds, nuts, Kalamata olives, feta cheese and Middle Eastern spices.
The restaurant offers Acili Ezme, a traditional Turkish spicy tomato dip that’s been described as a “Turkish chili salsa.”
“The food is traditional but I’m bringing some modernity to it for the younger generations,” he said. “I’ve been cooking since I was a kid and have been taking courses about cooking. I have experience in everything from fast food restaurants to fine dining.”
He’s got lofty ambitions.
“In 10 years I want to have one of the best restaurants in the area,” he said. “I want my staff to make the best living with me and love their jobs. I’d be willing to expand.”
The restaurant, which was long home to the Greek diner Zorba’s, seats around 100.
Shooman named the new place after the Agora, the public market in ancient Greece.
“I want the restaurant to be a gathering place where people make beautiful memories,” he said. “We’re proud of what we do. We love to show our hospitality and service.”
Agora Mediterranean Grill will deliver via DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. It eventually plans to add its own delivery drivers.
It will be open for lunch and dinner and may eventually add breakfast.
The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to Sunday.
For more information, call 219-546-3767.
Open
Nautical Bowls is now serving fresh, healthy bowls with superfoods like acai in Munster.
The chain restaurant opened at 8130 Calumet Ave. in the new strip mall that’s also home to Parlor Doughnuts and Smoothie King, creating the nutritional equivalent of having an acai bowl on one shoulder and a donut on the other.
It specializes in organic, natural, nutrient-packed bowls made with fresh ingredients. The Big Island Bowl for instance mixes goji berries, strawberries, granola and hemp seeds while the the Paddle Bowls shoots for vacation vibes with coconut, mango, coconut flakes, granola, strawberries and honey. It has signature bowls like a Protein Bowl, Oatmeal Bowl and Surf Bowl but also customizes bowls in the manner of the fast-casual king Chipotle.
It boasts that its foods are plant-based and free of gluten, soy and dairy.
For more information, visit nauticalbowls.com or call 219-301-7112.
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