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OM: You and I first met at the f lagship store in New York City that you opened in 2001, and you expanded into East Hampton, LA, Miami, and now Chicago. Was that always your goal, or was it like, "I thought it would be fun to have a store in New York" ? DL: When it first opened, I was thinking New York and LA were the big hubs to capture, and definitely Chicago because it was the heart of the country. I was like, "One day I'll get to Chicago." Miami and East Hampton opened before because it was hard to find a great and affordable location [in Chicago]. I had been there in the most freezing weather trying to find real estate for years, and then the Tribune building was just amazing because it has all the different variables that I need in terms of candy retail. It happened a little bit later than I would have liked, but it's worth the wait. OM: I actually did not know that Chicago is a major candy capital with Tootsie Roll Industries and Ferrara Candy Company. That's pretty exciting that Dylan's Candy Bar is going to be joining the ranks here in the Windy City. DL: I know—I'm very excited. It's funny because we're right across from the Wrigley Building, and it's fun to have the support of the candy industry because they attend all the trade shows. It's very cool. OM: Each of your locations has such individuality with its city. Are you doing something specific with Chicago? DL: We're trying to do two different things: We're trying to have the stores have some consistent icons like the lollipop tree, the candy cane columns, and the chocolate-filled bunny. What's cool about Chicago is that we have a bunny museum, which is different— OM: A bunny museum? DL: I don't know if you know that I collect rabbits— OM: I do know that because I remember when I was going into your office that you had this folder of bunny pictures. DL: [Laughs] Yeah, our mascot, Chocolate the Bunny, is in all the stores, but I'm showcasing maybe about 700 of my rabbits in Chicago because the store's a museum-looking space, so Chicago will be the only store that has that; Chicago also has the largest lollipop tree. Chicago will have a few special things in the recipes. We're highlighting chocolate bark called Ballpark Bark; it has popcorn in it because popcorn's big in Chicago, and we're doing drinks like Lemonhead Mojito because Lemonhead's from Ferrara. OM: And Chicago's going to have a full-service café and bar. Do you have those in any of your other stores? DL: We do have that in New York and Miami, but in Chicago, we're going to make it different in that we hired a company to help us reinvigorate the menu because Chicago's such a foodie town. We're going to have a mixologist help with candy cocktails, so it's our testing ground to then roll [the cocktails] out to other stores. OM: Do you have a favorite concoction that you've tested? DL: I love what we call Dylan's Chillins, which is a frozen hot chocolate made with chocolate f lakes that we make. Peanut Butter Explosion is also delicious. OM: Now that you're opening a store in Chicago, are you going to be spending more time here? Do you feel pretty familiar with the city? DL: I will visit you in Green Bay! [Laughs] OM: [Laughs] Candy delivery to Green Bay, please. DL: I have to get there. Yeah, I plan to definitely go to Chicago more now that we've opened. One of my closest friends lives in Chicago, so that gave me a good feel [for the city]. I love running along Lake Michigan; I've seen all of the famous pizza places because I love deep-dish; my dad has a restaurant there, which is one of my favorites; I've been to Navy Pier for conventions. OM: Your father's very successful in what he does, and you've learned things from him, but this is your idea. You're the one who hires the people—this is your name. As a friend, it's exciting to see somebody do so well with something. What do you credit for your brand's success? DL: Thank you. I think it's that I truly am the customer of the products I sell. I love candy, and I feel like I've filled the niche for other people who love candy and couldn't find certain things, or couldn't find a store that felt fun to shop in. When you love what you do, it makes it fun to keep doing it and to push for it. The entrepreneurial part definitely comes from watching my dad. OM: What's your proudest accomplishment? DL: That I'm opening stores in the key cities I've always wanted—New York, LA, and now Chicago. I don't know if it's one thing, but more the idea that I can check them off the wish list. I joke that I'm conquering the globe with candy—taking over the candy empire! [Laughs] OM: What's the hardest part of what you've been doing? DL: Managing people. OM: Why is that the hardest part? DL: With any company, it's growing the team, then having stores in different places and bringing in more people with more complexity who then have to manage and make sure everyone's on board. That's a lot of work. OM: I always say that business is more personal than personal. DL: Yes. OM: OK, I have a few more questions—these are a little more fun. Do you have any causes or charities that you're passionate about? I know we both are passionate about rescuing dogs and animals. DL: I wanted to tell you this, actually: I'm starting a charity called Dylan's Candy Barn [to] raise awareness about [adopting] rescue animals, rather than going to a pet store or breeder for a pet, and making sure people spay or neuter their animals—all of the things that help animals. OM: That's going to be amazing. Back to candy, what is your all-time, number-one candy? DL: [Laughs] I don't know because it keeps changing as the seasons go. It's tough because I love marshmallow-y and vanilla-y things, but I also like red Swedish fish, red gum balls, and red licorice… OM: It's basically an impossible question for you to answer. DL: [Laughs] It is impossible, but I'm pretty consistent in that I like all red chewy things and white marshmallow-y things. A lot of candies fall under that umbrella. OM: I went into the store in LA with my niece, and her eyes just lit up. There's such a great feeling when you walk into your stores, and it's not an overwhelming feeling—they just feel alive, and there's a lot of energy. What feeling do you want people to have when they walk into the store in Chicago? DL: The feeling I got when I watched Willy Wonka: Our mission is to ignite the inner child and creative spirit in people, to make them feel like kids again, and to make people happy—to make people feel like they can escape whatever they're doing into a real candy land. ma michiganavemag.com 107