If you head up to Cassandra Fears’ shop, Fears’ Confections, on East 185th Street in the North Collinwood neighborhood, after the end of July hoping to snag one of her extraordinary orange- or raspberry-infused brownies, and find it empty, don’t panic. The chocolatier, who opened her doors last year, is not going out of business; she’s getting ready to take things to the next level.
After parting ways with her business partner in December, Fears had known for a while that the sprawling corner space was too large for her boutique business and has been looking to relocate for months. Now with another tenant moving in, she has a deadline of July 31.
She’ll temporarily be moving her production back to her home, so clients will still be able to order her brownies and other chocolate goodies. She’ll still be taking special orders for weddings, parties, and other events. She’s currently exploring several alternate sites, looking to reopen when she finds just the right one.
Fears is planning to be moved into one of them by early fall to take advantage of the Halloween season. She says, “That’s my holiday,” one that plays into her goth sensibilities and her penchant for imagery like skeletons and coffins.
Meanwhile, she’ll be keeping busy as one of 11 participants accepted into the next business incubator class hosted by the Cleveland Culinary Launch & Kitchen, which meets once a week for eight weeks and provides fledgling entrepreneurs with information about running and promoting a business.
You can stay in touch with her and learn where she’s going to land (as well as any events she’ll be at) at her website or Facebook page.
