Papabubble is about magic - pure and simple. Their minimalistic, laboratory-esque shop on Broome st. in Manhattan – one of twelve Papabubble outposts worldwide, and the only one in the US – is a shining beacon of play and artistry, not to mention all things sugar. Chris Grassi and Fiona Ryan opened the small shrine of sweetness in 2008 after studying under the masters at the original Papabubble in Barcelona.
The store itself is glossy and pristine, as much a showroom as retail space. Visitors can watch Fiona and her crew hand-make batches of candy all day long. Only one small machine comes into play during the candy-making process, a simple contraption that scores the nearly finished strings of hard candy to ensure evenly sized pieces. From the pouring of molten sugar, to swirling in the bright colors and flavors, to rolling the python-sized ropes of sugar into tiny candies, the work is clearly as physically demanding as it is mesmerizing.
Their mission is a simple, almost philosophical one: “We reinvent our sweets everyday, reinterpreting the traditional manufacturing process in order to turn it into a sensory show. Our desire is to revive the beauty of authentic hand-made candies.”
And the very best part? The candies are just as delectable as they are stunning.
