Allow the Viral Candy Brand Lil Sweet Treat to Heal Your Inner Child
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The best business advice that Elly Ross has ever received was to “embrace the unknown every day.” It was guidance from her mother, and now it’s the lesson that Elly—the entrepreneur behind the viral candy brand Lil Sweet Treat—wants to pass along to her loyal legion of TikTok followers, one candid video at a time. She embraced the unknown while struggling to find the right paint for her first store’s candy mural. And while moonlighting as a contractor to speed up her shop’s renovation process. She really embraced it when her store’s candy shipments were delayed. These unexpected redirects are inevitable when running a business, and Elly is making sure her supporters, who she has lovingly deemed her “candy connoisseurs” are coming along for the journey.
“I hope that by being transparent about opening a business, others feel inspired to pursue their passions and dreams,” Elly tells Cosmo. “Social media tends to be a highlight reel, but I want to show that even with incredibly difficult and hard days, you can succeed and you can do what you’re passionate about.”
Lil Sweet Treat’s accomplishments verify exactly that. Since opening her West Village location last September and a second Rockefeller Center store two months later, Lil Sweet Treat’s online fandom has proven to translate into real-life support, with lines of eager customers consistently forming outside of each store, and partnerships with big names like Netflix, Bumble, and even Cosmopolitan (hi!).
Despite all of its demonstrated business success, Elly considers the business’s biggest win to be the community that’s formed around it. “We’re helping people celebrate the most special moments in their lives, like weddings and baby showers. Lil Sweet Treat has blossomed into something greater than I could have ever imagined, and I feel so much gratitude every day for getting to interact with our customers.”
As for the candy itself, Lil Sweet Treat’s globally-inspired offerings are curated with intention—specifically, to push the boundaries of what it means to sell candy. “As an immigrant, I’ve loved connecting with different cultures through food,” says Elly, who moved to the U.S. from South Korea as a child. “I was inspired to start Lil Sweet Treat because of my love for sweet treats, and the innovative textures and unique flavors that would amaze me when I traveled. So sourcing the best of the best from all around the world is my special way of creating meaningful connections and spreading unique joy! Whether it’s chocolate from Greece, gummies from Spain, or marshmallows from Belgium, we want to continue giving people a fresh experience.”
People can take part in that experience at either of the NYC Lil Sweet Treat locations or through its newly launched online store. But no matter which way they go about shopping Lil Sweet Treat, Elly hopes that the experience speaks to the customer’s inner child. “One of my favorite parts of the brand is how people tell us it makes them feel like a kid again.” Elly herself comes from a tech product background, with internships at companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft under her belt. But the thread that connects her former life in tech to her current day job is the people-first mission.
“While working in tech product, I focused on making the user journey magical and always putting the customer first. That’s the same ethos I bring to Lil Sweet Treat. Every decision is made with our community in mind.”
The brand is even rolling out some community-building traditions. “For Valentine’s Day, I wanted to tap into the nostalgia and excitement of sending/receiving candy grams when you were younger. So we’re starting a candy gram network. Whether it’s to a friend, secret admirer, or loved one, this is the perfect little surprise. Similar to back in the day, you won’t know who sent it to you until you pick it up! We can’t wait to help spread the love.”
But even before the candy grams, both love and inspiration have been getting spread thanks to Elly’s efforts. “I was talking to a young teen who came to the shop, and she burst into tears of happiness about being in Lil Sweet Treat. Her mother then turned to me, thanking me for sharing my story and told me that I was inspiring a future generation of female entrepreneurs.”
“When I’m being vulnerable about my experience building Lil Sweet Treat, my main goal has been to do just that. Hopefully seeing the ups and downs is inspiring people to follow their passions.”
You can check out Lil Sweet Treat at their NYC West Village or Rockefeller Center store locations or online.
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