STREETERVILLE — Kim Holstein describes her and her husband's passion as "taking a brand and building it."
For 17 years, the Holsteins founded and built Kim and Scott's Gourmet Pretzels before selling the company in 2012. Last year, they created the Crave Bar — an ice cream confection with a caramel-covered pretzel serving as the stick.
The product is available in stores throughout Chicago, and this month the Holsteins opened a kiosk in Navy Pier that sells The Crave Bar's three flavors — milk chocolate, dark chocolate and cappuccino. This weekend, The Crave Bar's food truck — which was officially licensed in July 2014 — will be part of the Chicago Food Truck Fest at South Loop Green Space, 2400 S. Dearborn St.
"We wanted to start something new," Kim Holstein said. "We really love that journey. It has its highs and its lows. It's completely fulfilling. It's something we put a lot of time and energy into creating."
The bars sell for $7 each at Navy Pier and the food truck, and about $5 in grocery stores, Kim Holstein said.
The Crave Bar's kiosk at Navy Pier is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, and 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
"Navy Pier is Illinois' No. 1 tourist destination, and we're excited to have our crave bars for the pier visitors,” Scott Holstein said.
The Holsteins met at a bookstore and were business partners just before they started dating. They've been married for almost 19 years, and now their three children — Sonia, 15; Daniella, 12; and Aiden, 10 — help them with the business.
Kim Holstein said several companies Downtown have ordered the Crave Bar's food truck for special "ice cream breaks from work."
"That's been so much fun for us," she said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
