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    MMELO Boutique Confections Opening Downtown Store

    MMELO Boutique Confections will be opening a Downtown brick-and-mortar store late this summer, located right next door to The North Market.

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    Owner Michelle Allen first started MMELO, a candy store that carries gourmet marshmallows, tea cakes, chocolate and more, baking out of commissary The Food Fort. After a successful MMELO holiday pop-up at Easton Town Center, a physical store was her obvious next step.

    “I love making confections,” said Allen. “It’s so much fun getting in the kitchen and making this stuff. I’m realizing a dream I’ve been courting for two years, and it’s happening.”

    mmelo-02The 445 Vine Street store is cozy, clocking in at just under 900 square feet with expected seating for 25. Allen chose not to build a kitchen in-house, so patrons would have more space to lounge. Allen’s husband, Paul, has designed the space to include modern elements while keeping an organic, old-world aesthetic. Ultimately, she’s trying to recreate the experience of being in a European confectionary cafe

    All of MMELO’s cooking is still done at The Food Fort, where everything will be baked and brought to the Downtown location on a daily basis. In addition to the chocolate collection, baked goods and confectionary offerings, MMELO will have a curated selection of hot and cold coffee and organic teas. Allen is in the midst of working with a Westerville-based roaster who’s developing custom MMELO blends.

    Her recipe development is inspired from all over the world. For example, her lemon, pear, and fresh thyme marshmallow was inspired by her travels in Greece; she learned to mix chai in India, and make agar pearls in Barcelona. Her mother’s mantra was ‘you were born to a gorgeous planet — now go and look at it.’

    mmelo-03“I try to make flavor combinations that people are familiar with, but used in a surprising way,” said Allen. “In my experience, Columbus is very adventurous in their palate, and what they’re prepared to try. I’m taking advantage of that and bringing a few baked goods that aren’t the usual.”

    Allen hails from Columbus, returning here after working in New York for 14 years and Barcelona for 12. She took an interest in food science after becoming a mother and realizing there were a lot of ingredients she didn’t want her kids consuming. She’s a professed sweets lover but is very conscious of sugar and overconsumption, only cooking MMELO confections with all-natural ingredients.

    “It’s really important to me that it’s an authentically natural product, and that when you do eat your sugar, you’re not eating some uber-refined processed garbage,” said Allen.  “I’m not calling my product health food, but it’s also not junk food.”

    Allen’s hope is that MMELO becomes a place people can commune with friends and feel very comfortable. They want to serve a great selection of food and products that people feel a sense of wonder about.

    MMELO Boutique Confections is slated to open mid-July, with a grand opening celebration in early August.

    [CLICK HERE to read more about the business behind MMELO at TheMetropreneur.com]

    For more information, visit www.mmelo.co.

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    Rebecca Wagner
    Rebecca Wagnerhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Rebecca Wagner is a former staff writer at Columbus Underground who reported on local food and restaurant news. She's a graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
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