Martha Stewart Taps Roscoe Village Business for New Magazine

Modern living queen Martha Stewart may be the expert on home décor, weddings and gardening, but when it comes to cake, she turns to Roscoe Village’s Give Me Some Sugar.

The local business at 2205 W. Belmont Ave. has been perfecting dessert decorating since 2006, snagging notice from Stewart’s overarching corporation Omnimedia Inc. Owner Alekka Sweeny says it all started with a nervous phone call in 2007, and now, she’s being called on again to represent Stewart in a new venture.

“In our first year of business, they contact us—Martha Stewart Weddings contacted us because we fit their brand,” Sweeny said. “I saw it on my caller ID and thought, ‘Is this really…?’ because it says Martha Stewart Living on the caller ID. … So the first contract we had was bringing in the folks from Philadelphia Cream Cheese to do a class as a thank-you event.”

Now Give Me Some Sugar is at it again, doing cake-decorating classes at advertising agencies around Chicago to help promote Stewart’s new collector’s edition magazine.

"I saw it on my caller ID and thought, ‘Is this really…?’ because it says Martha Stewart Living on the caller ID."

It’s all part of what Sweeny calls a well-oiled machine, packing up her car with enough cake and supplies to entertain a crowd. And although it’s admittedly hard work, Give Me Some Sugar’s passion for sweets clear.

“This is something that I really like to do,” Sweeny said. “I like teaching people. I like showing people what to do and interacting with the clients. We try to get to know our clients, and I think that’s why people keep coming back, and I think that’s why Martha Stewart likes us.”

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It’s also the reason why Roscoe Village likes the local dessert-decorating studio. After setting up her brick-and-mortar storefront in 2011, Sweeny says the community has embraced the local business.

Opening a niche business is what Sweeny calls “nonstop work,” but with support from neighbors, Give Me Some Sugar is ready to call Roscoe Village home for years to come.

“Roscoe Village has been so welcoming to us,” Sweeny said. “It’s such a great neighborhood to be in. It’s a community that really supports small businesses, and almost two years later, we’re still here.”

And with a successful business at her helm, there’s just one last thing to do: meet Stewart herself.

“Someday!” Sweeny laughed. “I think she’s a very smart business woman, and someday I’ll be a billionaire just like her.”