Noted Black Manufacturer Stephanie Hart to Present at Living Fresh Market in Forest Park on December 16, 2023

Stephanie Hart, Brown Sugar Bakery and Celebrity Chef Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty Restaurant.
Stephanie Hart, Brown Sugar Bakery and Celebrity Chef Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty Restaurant.

 

Noted Black Manufacturer Stephanie Hart to Present at Living Fresh Market in Forest Park on December 16, 2023

Customers and the Public to Learn About the Beloved Southern-inspired Cakes and Delights That Have Made Hart a National Sensation in Baking and Chocolates

 
CHICAGO - Stephanie Hart, the founder and CEO of Brown Sugar Bakery, one of the nation’s few African American-owned manufacturers of baked goods and the nation’s only Black-woman-owned chocolate manufacturer, will be a special guest presenter at Living Fresh Market on Saturday, December 16, 2023, from 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
The 71,000-square-foot Living Fresh Market is one of the nation’s few full-scale supermarkets owned by African Americans. The grocery store, located at 7520 W. Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, a suburb located about five miles west of Chicago, hosts events and presentations highlighting foods and products produced by vendors and seeks to become a leader in opening doors for African Americans and other vendors of color.

During Hart’s presentation, she will provide samples of her famous cakes, baked goods, candies and other Southern-inspired treats. Hart, who entered the baking and confectionery industries in 2002, gained national notoriety when Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Brown Sugar Bakery location at 328 E. 75th St. in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood during a visit in 2021. The Vice-President walked away with German chocolate cake.

In October, with the help of city, state and community grants, Hart opened a 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 7637 S. Western Ave. in the city’s Ashburn neighborhood. The expansion allows Hart to produce mass orders, making Brown Sugar Bakery one of the few African American baking companies with a national reach. Products from Brown Sugar Bakery and the candy line “Life is Good,” are sold in the supermarket.

Hart said she is very excited about appearing at Living Fresh Market, located in Forest Park Plaza. This mall also houses the Living Word Christian Center, where Dr. Bill Winston serves as founder and pastor.

“Pastor Bill Winston has always been somebody that I have admired,” Hart said. “Previous to starting the bakery, I had a technology company. He was somebody that we all looked up to as Black technologists, being a leader at IBM. So, for me to have the opportunity to be of service in a full circle type of way as he left corporate America and moved into his ministry, for me, some say, that cakes are my ministry, so for those (life experiences) to collide in a much-needed Black-owned grocery store is something that is so, so rare. It is my great honor and pleasure to have my products in such a space.”

Hart added, “I want to meet and greet people and talk about entrepreneurship.

“If there are questions and interests about business and entrepreneurship, I will be glad to say a word and answer any questions.”

Because of popular demand, Dr. Winston’s daughter, Melody, who serves as senior executive of Living Fresh Market, said Celebrity Chef Dominique Leach, who presented in November, will also be on-site for another demonstration. Leach, a South Side pitmaster who has won several awards for her barbeque, is known for her success on the Food Network. Her products are sold at Living Fresh Market.

“We will have two great Black women who have claimed their niches in their designated areas,” Melody Winston said. “We are going to make a big deal about their appearances. It is so important for our customers and members of the community to learn more about the people behind the products they enjoy. This is what makes Living Fresh Market special. We are committed to placing products by vendors of all races and ethnicities on our shelves, and we are also committed to their success, and these events help us achieve those goals and fulfill our mission.”

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