Aug. 18--Entrepreneur and reality TV star Marcus Lemonis is part of a group that has acquired a Lake Forest candy and cupcake boutique and plans to convert it to the Chicago area's first Sweet Pete's Candy store.
Lemonis, host of CNBC reality show "The Profit," has bought Jolly Good Fellows Sweet Boutique along with Pete and Allison Behringer, the founders of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Sweet Pete's Candy.
The conversion will occur over the next month and marks the kickoff of Sweet Pete's national expansion.
Sweet Pete's was founded in 2010. It moved and expanded into a Jacksonville facility in 2014 that it believes is one of the world's biggest candy shops.
"Over the past 12 months we have experienced tremendous growth based on having the proper people, process and product at our Jacksonville, Fla., facility, and we will be reviewing additional markets across the country in which to expand our Sweet Pete's brand," Allison Behringer said in a statement.
Sweet Pete's sells gourmet chocolate, frozen yogurt, ice cream, baked goods, cotton candy and other sweets. The Lake Forest location will have a candy factory and will also offer candy-making classes.
Terms of the deal between Jolly Good and Sweet Pete's weren't disclosed. Last year Lemonis was part of a group that bought the Crumbs Bake Shop chain.
byerak@tribpub.com
