XO Marshmallow opened its doors in June of 2017. The gourmet marshmallow company first gained traction online, increasing its customer base from March of 2016 until the following year, when it launched a dedicated Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $10,000 to take it to the next level with a brick-and-mortar location.
The first-ever marshmallow café in Chicago provides gourmet flavors that can’t be found anywhere else in the area. Popular mainstays like lavender honey, bourbon, and green tea are joined by other distinct flavors like cookies and cream, Champagne, and a favorite of Chicago’s many Harry Potter fans – butterbeer, which is made with a homemade butterbeer sauce swirled in and is described as having a flavor of a butterscotch and cream soda hybrid.
XO Marshmallow cycles in special monthly and seasonal offerings that keep its lineup fresh and exciting. A recent limited-edition flavor that was introduced was Avocado Toast, a take on the popular brunch trend. This marshmallow is made with real avocado, chia seeds, pepper, and lemon juice for a savory and sweet treat. The "toast" layer is buttery with a lightly toasted flavor.
The dessert shop doesn’t limit itself to marshmallows, however. It reimagines everything from the classic s’mores and rice crispy treats to whoopie pies and the increasingly-popular marshmallow fluff available in many flavors.
Promising to make customers “feel like a kid again,” XO Marshmallow has begun offering marshmallow decorating classes at its store. Guests learn how XO makes its marshmallows and how the company was able to build an entire café around marshmallows. Then, they have the opportunity to decorate a 6"x6" slab of gourmet Vanilla Marshmallows.
The company has cookie cutters, sprinkles galore, chocolate, and much more on hand to help its students decorate their marshmallows. They get to take home the marshmallows they create, as well as one box of the marshmallow of the month.
It’s all part of XO Marshmallow’s efforts to create a marshmallow wonderland. Pound for pound, this marshmallow café packs the most fun into its treats.