Buy some sweet treats, place gift orders at pop-up store Thursday and Friday

Customers who miss the former Gigi’s Sweet Shoppe in downtown Joliet are in for a treat in December.

Gigi’s Sweet Junk ‘N The Truck will be holding several pop-up shops in front of Chicago Street Pub, 75 N. Chicago St. in Joliet, according to the Gigi’s owner Sheryl Kimble of Joliet.

Kimble will hold pop-ups from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 The first one on Dec. 3 went “really, really well,” so Kimble was encouraged to host some more.

“When I got there, I turned my oven on and started baking cookies,” Kimble said.

Customers will be able to purchase a variety of homemade sweet treats and place orders for gift items such as gourmet popcorn (tins filled with cheese and caramel popcorn), cookies tins and sample chocolate boxes through Dec. 13, Kimble said.

“The banana pudding is a favorite, so I’m still doing banana pudding,” Kimble said.

Kimble is referring to a customer-favorite when she opened Gigi’s Sweet Shoppe in downtown Joliet with her then husband on July 7, 2009. Right from the start, the shop specialized in gourmet popcorn, ice cream by Hersey, nostalgic candy and beverages.

Much of the menu is the same, except Gigi’s Sweet Junk ‘N The Truck now focuses more on “decadent chocolate” than nostalgic candy, Kimble said.

“When we opened it in 2009, the economy was not the best at the time,” Kimble said. “But people were still treating themselves to guilty-pleasure food. And being that it was downtown, people were still getting their ice cream and candies and things like that. Even if people were having a bad day – and people came into the shop from the courthouse where sometimes things don’t go great – they left a little bit happier.”

Kimble closed the shop in June 2019, just missing its 10th anniversary. She had battled a few “life issues” over the past few years, including a couple of health issues.

“It was very hard to have to close my doors. It was like my baby,” Kimble said. “My actual baby was 5 years old at the time and now she’s 17, 18 years old. But it was a lot of life-changing events and they happen for a reason, sometimes to better you.”

But as Kimble felt better, she began converting her garage into a commercial kitchen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, Kimble had transitioned into carryout and fulfilling orders through third parties, options that weren’t as readily available pre-pandemic, she said.

The only challenge Kimble is facing now is letting people who relied on the store’s physical presence know that she has transitioned to curbside pickup and delivery. Social media is great for marketing only for people with computers who use social media, Kimble said.

“The difficult part is just getting the word out there that the product is good,” Kimble said. “Word of mouth is so important. It sends many avenues your way.”

So although Kimble no longer has a physical store, she has a physical number that people can call with questions and to place orders: 815-723-6587.

Customers can also visit Gigi’s Sweet Shoppe on Facebook and visit gigissweetjunknthetruck.bigcartel.com.