Katherine Duncan’s love for candy started when she was a kid. At age 10, she began making her own "Katherine's Karamels" and selling them at her Dad's office for 25 cents each. They quickly became a local favorite.
“I started making truffles and caramels growing up on my family’s farm in Wisconsin. I have an unconventional path here since I have no formal training,” says Duncan.
Duncan continued to make sweets for her family and friends when she moved to Chicago and later founded Katherine Anne Confections. Her artisan confection boutique has since carved itself as one of the premiere chocolate shops in Logan Square.
“I’ve always loved making sweets. I love starting the day with chocolate and ending the day with hundreds of truffles,” said Duncan.
Since 2006, Duncan has been serving the Logan Square community with her signature truffles, caramels, marshmallows, hot chocolate and more. She’s now opening a second location.
“We’re very excited to open. This project has been in the works since 2021 so to actually be almost here feels very good,” says Duncan
The search for a new location took years — ultimately Irving Park was the best fit. The new 1,900-square-foot shop is a big expansion for Katherine Anne Confections, equipped with a full espresso bar, cafe menu and more.
“I think people are very excited to see us here and to support us,” says Duncan.
She’s not wrong. During our interview, three local residents stopped by wondering when the shop will officially open. Duncan says she’s excited to meet the neighborhood and support other local businesses through their new espresso program which partners with local roastery Factotum.
“We really love supporting as local as we can, spreading around the love,” says Duncan
Duncan explains her products are locally sourced, with honey and Jersey milk from farmers in the Midwest. Her team is also working to eliminate plastic entirely.
“We compost all of our food waste, we are making our own syrups in house so there will be zero plastic waste with our syrups,” says Duncan.
The shop has created some new collections for Mother’s Day. A 12-piece adventurous box includes a mezcal s'more truffle, tahini truffle, and a goat cheese and red currant bonbon. Customers can also register for a new Mother’s Day class.
“We have an awesome class on Saturday right before Mother’s Day at our Armitage location, we’re going to be teaching people how to make truffles.” says Duncan.
The class features a floral arrangement design aspect with experts from the Roof Crop. While the new location plans to officially open next week, Irving Park residents can grab some goodies at an ongoing pop-up at J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop through Saturday. Duncan says Mother’s Day and larger orders can be made online. Check out their website for more details: katherine-anne.com