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Finding Your Sweet Spot
Sweet Spot is a candy and ice cream lover’s paradise in the heart of Barrington.
From the outside, the quaint little cottage sits invitingly just beyond the train tracks across from Barrington High School. Peering inside reveals a child-like vision of hundreds of candies tucked into every facet of the little house. Every wall explodes in color from the glossy designs of candy bar wrappers, lollipops, and a wide assortment of toys. Stepping into the shop sends the rich smell of ice cream cones rushing out the door and into the hot summer air.
The store resembles an old-fashioned candy boutique. While you will see contemporary candies like the SNICKERS® Bar and Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups, what makes this place special are the many different sweets you won’t find at a modern candy store. The Memory Lane section of the store has fan favorites like the Curly Wurly and Pop Rocks that nostalgic >candy lovers can revisit and enjoy. It doesn’t stop at candy, either. Snacks include pretzels, popcorn, pizza, and nachos.
Homer’s Handmade Gourmet Ice Cream helps make Sweet Spot an ice cream destination. Called the “Best in Chicago” by Chicago magazine and “Finest in the Nation” by the American Tasting Institute, Homer’s delivers its handmade ice cream to Barrington from Wilmette where it’s been made and sold for 60 years.
Sweet Spot has been Barrington’s cure for every candy craving and sweet tooth for the past several years. Not only have Barrington locals come to enjoy the vast variety of treats, but visitors from out-of-town have also stopped in to sample what Sweet Spot has to offer.
Doreen Thomas, Barrington resident and candy fanatic, opened Sweet Spot on April 24, 2010. That opening day, everyone wanted to see Barrington’s new candy store as Thomas remembers. “That was a crazy day when we opened the doors.” The crowd was so big that there was a limit to how many people could be let in at a time. Since then, she has been running it with the help of her friends and family.
The origin of Sweet Spot began as an idea of Thomas’s while inspired by the many different candy stores she and her family would visit at different vacation locations. It soon became a reality after they moved into the little white building that now houses a multitude of treats. It was an abandoned building at the time that needed a vision and manpower, and the Thomas family stepped up to the challenge. They went to work and made it into a place they were proud to share with the community.
The shop was well-received, but after two years of being in business, Sweet Spot was told to pack up and leave by January 1 of the following year. The landlord decided to sell the property that housed the company and wanted them out. Shocked by the news, Thomas contemplated moving to other locations, but there wasn’t anywhere else that had the same feeling. Her family called Barrington home, and she couldn’t think of going anywhere else. With time running out, Sweet Spot was going to close down for good.
On December 31, 2012—the day before everything needed to be cleaned out—Thomas and her family were packing up the remaining pieces of what was Sweet Spot. In preparation to move out of the little cottage, almost all of the candy was sold on sale until there was almost nothing left. Around 5 o’clock on New Year’s Eve, a man entered the door of the little white house. She recalls the encounter.
“A local guy walked in and said, ‘Stop packing, I’m buying the building, and we want you to stay.’” That local man was Bill Lee. He bought the house and wanted Thomas to re-open her doors. Thomas said, “Bill Lee is the one who saved the day, saved Sweet Spot.” Several months later, Thomas let her customers in once again to browse and enjoy the selections.
It has been six years since the creation of the business, and Thomas is feeling confident about the future. She is now thinking of new plans for the Sweet Spot. She will continue to offer candy gift baskets and bouquets, candy buffets, and ice cream sundae bars for events and parties. And talk of longer hours that the store will be open and possibly making fudge in the store are exciting new endeavors for the candy queen. But as of right now, she is happy knowing her store is loved by many, and that there is truly something for everyone to enjoy.
Sweet Spot is located at 102 S. Hager Street in Barrington. Call 847-381-2320 to learn more, or visit www.sweetspot102.webs.com.
Braden Kobeski is a freshman at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying journalism. He is looking forward to the next several years in college and aspires to be a television or radio personality in the future.