XO Marshmallow
Food manufacturer · Skokie ·
Gourmet marshmallows, unique drinks, and Instagrammable atmosphere
Gourmet marshmallows, unique drinks, and Instagrammable atmosphere
"A palace for Instagram bait, XO Marshmallow is allegedly the world’s first marshmallow cafe and features some of the prettiest hot chocolates in town, including a steaming cup of s’mores hot chocolate with graham cracker crumbs and a toasted marshmallow. In June 2022, the sugary-sweet business relocated to new digs in Lincoln Park." - Naomi Waxman
"At Chicago Marshmallow I found a very kid-friendly maker known for marshmallows shaped like hearts, stars, and Disney characters; I also observed that they sell weekly at a Wednesday afternoon market in Edgewater’s Edge of Sweetness (the maker rents kitchen space from that bakery). Owner Laura Murphy emphasizes experimentation — she tells people that making a flavor of marshmallow is like a science experiment — and is expanding into more complex commissioned shapes for birthdays and weddings, including Ghostbusters’ Slimer and miniature-tiered wedding cake marshmallows, alongside seasonal turkeys and pumpkins." - Pearse Anderson
"Founded by Lindzi Shanks and Kat Connor after selling flavored marshmallows, hot chocolate and s’mores at craft markets in 2016, this confectionery grew from a tiny Rogers Park counter into a larger Lincoln Park cafe with a bright-pink storefront, murals by Emma Moss and neon signs by Bright Tribe. The menu highlights trendy flavored marshmallows (birthday cake, salted caramel, sour lemon-lime), customizable s’mores (including non-graham cookies), marshmallow cones, turtles, “cosmallow brownies,” and a pintable marshmallow fluff called OMG that’s used in cold brew floats and “Fluffogatos”; new flavors are trialed through an annual advent calendar and customer surveys. Production and wholesale were moved to a separate 9,000 sq ft facility in Skokie, enabling distribution to roughly 600 boutiques and availability on GoPuff, while the Lincoln Park location is designed for lingering customers with communal seating, pop-ups and classes. Products are made with kosher gelatin, OMG is vegetarian, most baked goods are gluten-free, and the founders continue experimenting to create a scalable vegan marshmallow. The brand emphasizes nostalgia and joy — aiming to “heal your inner child” and keep customers smiling — and its measured growth began with a Kickstarter that funded in 30 days and led to recognition such as an invitation to the Fluff Festival." - Aimee Levitt
"A hot cocoa cafe and sweet shop moving from a tiny Rogers Park storefront into much larger premises, XO Marshmallow will relocate to 2730 N. Clark Street while shifting its production facility to Skokie to handle a rising volume of online orders for its gourmet marshmallows." - Aimee Levitt
"This tiny spot near the lake was started by social media influencers who created a following through pop-ups and Instagram. It’s an adorable space for coffee, but the focus is creative marshmallows in flavors like champagne, butterbeer, and cinnamon toast. The photos of the s’mores may earn customers a few more social media followers." - Aimee Levitt