BEVERLY — Sweet Freaks is in the final stages of moving its gourmet candy shop to 9927 S. Wood St. in Beverly and is asking for a bit of help.
Owners Patrick and Katie Murphy launched a Kickstarter campaign Thursday aimed at funding the final stages of construction. The online fundraiser seeks $5,000 and runs through July 22.
Contributors are rewarded with candy of varying types and amounts based on the level of their support. That includes the "Super Freak" donation package of $1,000 or more which includes a box of Sweet Freaks' goodies delivered to your door 4 times a year.
The boxes of candy will include Sweet Freak's signature Cherry Bites as well as its "Jakes," "Jacques" and other handcrafted chocolates. The boxes will arrive in February, May, October and December, the fundraiser states.
More modest funding levels of support also include sweet rewards such as the $15 donation that says thank you with a bag of 10 Cherry Bites.
"We love our neighborhood, but need more space," the campaign states. "This [new] space will allow us to double our storage area, install a kitchen space and offer classes."
The owners also said they have been buying kitchen equipment over the past couple of years in anticipation of the move. They are also doing much of the work themselves. Still, construction costs are higher than anticipated.
"As the saying goes in our Beverly neighborhood, 'Love where you live,' and Sweet Freaks wants our chocolate shop to be just one more reason to love Beverly," the campaign states.
Sweet Freaks had been at 9915 S. Walden Parkway since April 18, 2013. It will move about 100 yards east to the nearby building that also houses Pelar Construction. Its previous candy shop is being replaced by a women's clothier.
Maura Conine was handed the keys to Sweet Freak's former 700-square-foot shop June 1 and expects to open Capsule sometime in September. The store will stock a small variety of versatile clothing designed to be mixed and matched.
Both tenants are part of a series of changes to the quaint shopping district near the 99th Street Metra depot.
