FAIRLAWN, Ohio — Cotton Candy has been a nostalgic treat for generations, but unlike doughnuts and cake pops, it's been left out of present-day upgrades. But filled with appreciation, one Northeast Ohio woman took her ideas for a "spin" and elevated the traditional cotton candy experience.
Cuyahoga Falls native Emily Harpel created the Art of Sucre — which means "Art of Sugar" in French — in 2016.
"And spinning cotton candy, as cheesy as that sounds, really is an art form," she explained. "It's a lot harder than it looks. There's a little bit of a finesse to it, so 'Art of Sugar' just fit."
The Fairlawn-based gourmet cotton candy company, specializing in unique flavors along with edible glitter bombs, first began as a cart service. However, when the pandemic hit, Harpel (like so many other small business owners) had to adjust, so she added packaging to her business model and turned to TikTok.
"I started posting on TikTok and had a lot of success there," she said. "Our most viewed video has 26 million views and [we] have 1.3 million followers, and that has just opened so many doors for us in ways that, you know, [we reached] people that would have never known who we were [and] we didn't have to pay for any of it."
For nearly a decade, Harpel and her team have taken the nostalgic treat to the next level.
"It's just pink or blue," she lamented of most cotton candy, "and it was really being left in the dust of anybody reimagining what this really fun, childlike treat is and giving the adult upgrade to it."
Art of Sucre's success has taken Emily and her team through Northeast Ohio and around the world working with big name brands like American Girl, Capital One and Kate Spade, just to name a few.
"It was all organic," Harpel said, "and it's really become kind of this movement where social media absolutely drives our business."
No matter where her brand takes her, Harpel is proud of her Northeast Ohio roots.
"It's really cool to be able to go [with] a brand where I've grown up," she explained, "and to prove to people that you don't have to be on either coast to grow a special brand."
And from coast to coast, Emily hopes that the interactive experience she's created continues to bring joy to everyone that crosses its path.
"It's really hard not to have a smile on your face while you're eating cotton candy or sipping on a glittery cocktail," she gushed, "and if there's anything this world needs more of today, it's just small pieces of happiness."
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*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report that aired on April 20, 2023.