5 Questions with Stephanie Groves is an ongoing series featuring local women doing interesting things that we’d like to know more about. Want to be featured? Email us at editorial@indymaven.com.
If you have a sweet tooth, this is for you: Sugar Factory American Brasserie recently opened its first Indiana location at Circle Centre Mall in Downtown Indianapolis.
We got the inside scoop on what to expect there straight from the concept’s founder and owner, Charissa Davidovici.
Why did you choose the location you did for the first Sugar Factory American Brasserie in Indiana?
With over a decade serving up decadent sweets and treats around the world, we are so excited to bring our fun, high-energy brand to Indianapolis. Sugar Factory’s food, drinks, and atmosphere offer entertainment for guests of all ages, making the city’s family-friendly community a perfect fit.
Our new store also offers us the space to have a 184-seat indoor dining area, bar, outdoor patio with space for 32 guests, glamorous “Pretty in Pink Café” featuring additional unique menu offerings, and our iconic candy retail store with floor-to-ceiling candy, all in one fun location.
What do you think is the secret to making Sugar Factory such a beloved experience?
Sugar Factory is really about everyone having an unforgettable dining experience and enjoying themselves with friends, family, and their favorite celebrities. Whether you come in for brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, drinks, or to explore the candy retail store, you’ll get treated to a lavish experience full of photo-worthy decor, over-the-top entrees, legendary desserts, and a retail candy selection.
One unforgettable dish is our “Insane Double Stack Rainbow Pancakes” which features layers of colorful pancakes topped with rich chocolate chips, chewy gummy bears, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. We like adding extras like serving our signature “Sugar Factory Rainbow Sliders” on colorful buns with a complimentary toy duck to take home.
Our “Insane Milkshakes” are all lavishly decorated and served in chocolate-covered mugs, and for our over-21guests, they can enjoy Sugar Factory’s signature, celebrity-endorsed, smoking cocktail goblets (all of which can be made without alcohol). Favorites include the “Soul Man” by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made with his Teremana Tequila; 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” goblet made with his Branson Cognac; and Nick Cannon’s “The Big Clouds” Goblet, named after his single “Big Clouds,” and made with a smooth blend of Voli 305 Vodka by Pitbull, SelvaRey Rum by Bruno Mars, tropical pineapple, fresh peach, and melon flavors, topped with fluffy blue raspberry cotton candy.
To add to the experience, our celebrity partners like Nick Cannon, who DJ’ed our Grand Opening in Indianapolis, often make appearances and add energy to our restaurants throughout the country.
What’s your favorite item on the Sugar Factory Indianapolis menu, and why?
I have to say the “King Kong Sundae” is pretty exceptional! It serves up to 12 people with 24 scoops of ice cream covered with sprinkles, gummy bears, caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce, and giant whirly pops lit on fire like sparklers. Our staff presents it, usually for a birthday or special occasion, with music and dancing and tons of fanfare. You can’t help but have a good time with this dish.
What advice would you give other women who want to strike out with a unique restaurant concept?
As we emphasize in my family, dreams take hard work, but with love, family, and determination, you can bring your ideas to life.
Also, sometimes we have to remember to just get started, to take that first step. The idea to create Sugar Factory came about while discussing candy at the dinner table. We realized candy is something that everyone loves, and it brings people together. We started as a small confectionary shop in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, and have been able to grow it into an exciting candy experience with more than 25 locations around the world.
Other than the Indianapolis opening, what other exciting things can we look forward to from Sugar Factory this year?
We’re excited to be in Indianapolis, and we’re looking forward to continuing to expand into more US markets in the next year including Houston; San Antonio, TX; Cherry Hill, NJ; Jacksonville, FL; Honolulu, HI; Detroit; and many more.
Stephanie Groves is the Executive Editor of Indy Maven and she and her daughter loved the rainbow sliders at Sugar Factory.
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