Naman Shrestha
Candies are something universally loved by children, but many of us don’t ponder creating one ourselves. Cricket’s Candy Creations makes candy creation a fun activity for not only kids but also adults. By teaching the art of crafting edible candies, the founder of the company, Cricket Azima, has made a unique mark on the food industry. Thus, she pitched her business and her future plans on the 19th episode of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 16 in order to impress the Sharks in front of her and get a deal with at least one of them.
Cricket’s Candy Creations: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Cricket’s Candy Creations is the latest venture of Cricket Azima, someone who has been in the food industry for decades. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Political Science from Boston University in 1996, she attended the Institute of Culinary Education between 1999 and 2000. Realizing that her passion lay in the food industry, she pursued a Master’s degree in Food Studies and Food Management from New York University. However, she began her professional career way before earning her Master’s degree. For a short period of time, she worked as the Junior Assistant to the Social Secretary at the White House Social Office and as the Conference Coordinator and later the Special Events Coordinator at The Brookings Institution.
Following the short stints, Cricket joined the Presidential Advance in March 1998. In January 2002, she became the Director of Business Administration at the Association for the Study of Food & Society. She ventured into her first business in 2003, founding The Creative Kitchen, a company that teaches children and families healthy recipes involving fruits and vegetables. From August 2003 to May 2004, Cricket served as a Graduate Advisor and Adjunct Instructor at New York University. Cricket then served as the Director of Special Events at Palm Pictures for a few months, before again taking up the role of the Adjunct Instructor at New York University in September 2014. In January 2012, she founded her second business, Kids Food Festival.
Besides being an entrepreneur, Cricket Azima is also a published author, having written books like ‘Everybody Eats Lunch’ and ‘Everybody Can Cook.’ She has also co-authored ‘The Happy Family Organic Superfoods Cookbook for Baby & Toddler.’ With more than two decades of experience under her belt, the trained chef and educator launched Cricket’s Candy Creations in November 2021. Explaining the origin of Cricket’s Candy Creations, the businesswoman told Canvas Rebel Magazine, “During the pandemic, I noticed an exponential increase in requests for my edible slime and candy sushi virtual classes, and realized the transformative power of special experiences and occasional indulgences, especially during challenging times.”
Cricket added, “I envisioned Cricket’s Candy Creations as a place where the eye-sparkling joy I saw in her students would be accessible to all kids and the young at heart. At CCC, Cricket invites creators to step out of their routines and experience the freedom to break all the rules: make a mess, eat candy, and play with their food!” Her motivation behind launching Cricket’s Candy Creations was to “provide a space for kids – and the young at heart — to let loose, explore, engage, create and of course eat!” Through her firm, she provides creators of all ages a platform to indulge in unique and immersive candy crafting activities and make the most of their imaginations to create edible art out of candy. The flagship of the company is a 12,000 square foot space situated in New York City.
Cricket’s Candy Creations: Where Are They Now?
Ever since its launch in 2021, Cricket’s Candy Creations has undergone multiple refinements when it comes to the business model. In 2024, Cricket and her team worked on improving a lot of aspects, including training systems, procedures, marketing models, operating manuals, and business structure, in order to keep being a successful and profitable firm. Now a franchise that has expanded into multiple cities across the nation, Cricket’s Candy Creations also sells several products through its official website. You can buy products like Candy Jewelry Craft Kit for $54.99, Candy Sushi Craft Kit for $49.99, Candy Craft Kit Bundle for $150, Edible Slime Craft Kit for $44.99, a variety of Placemats for $24.99 each, and various merchandise like T-shirts, aprons, caps, keychains, and stickers ranging from $2 to $30.
The company also collaborated with Mini Melanie for Cricket’s Candy X Mini Melanie Valentine’s Package, which is available for $96. Through its website, you can also book birthday parties, private parties, group visits, and corporate events tailor-made to your preferences, budget, time limit and theme. The 90-minute birthday packages vary from Sweet Celebration Party (only for kids up to 4 years old; two candy crafts priced at $1,500 onwards, excluding tax and gratuity), Cherry on Top! (five edible crafts starting at $2,500 before tax and gratuity) Sushi & Candy Sushi Party and a Candy Jewelry Party — the latter two are priced at $2k for the initial 10 guests; $65 for each person thereafter.
The team also offers other packages such as 4-hour long Night at the Candy Store: Sleep-unders at Cricket’s Candy Creations ($3,250 onwards), 90-minute Sweet Spa TREAT-ment Party ($2,500 onwards), and themed parties comprising mermaids, gummy bears, unicorns, popstars, royals, and so on. The private plus and parties plus package starts at $10,000 and allows the use of the entire area for six hours, equipped with guards, porters, and on-site staff. In addition, Cricket’s Candy Creations also offers packages for Corporate events and School group visits for field trips, graduation parties, and interactive sessions with students. The General admission entry fee for about 50 minutes of the experience is set at $65 per person, which must be bought in advance.
Their approximately 60-minute Put a Cherry on Top VIP experience can be purchased for $80 per person in advance only. Drop-In Candy Crafting! Those looking for a customized option can choose candy crafts from their à la carte menu at $10 onwards. You can also contact the team if you’re looking for franchising opportunities. The company takes pride in supporting the Washington, D.C.–based Association of Children’s Museums, which works for the betterment of children on all fronts—physical, intellectual, and emotional. Cricket’s Candy Creations promises to be consistent with the quality training they provide to ensure customer satisfaction. In the future, the team hopes to take the company to new heights through determination, hard work, and hands-on guidance to their community. It also aims to collaborate with new investors who believe in its vision of spreading candy-coated smiles.
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