Candy Couture

Lauren is literally like a kid in a candy shop when she goes to the office, which is just a few blocks away from the store. “I spend a lot of time sampling our products or designing packaging for new products. I work with our graphic designers on new T-shirts, accessories, tote bags, coffee cups, etc. I’m also testing out new martinis for our bar with the café consultant.”

So just how much candy does the candy queen consume each day? “I have three different snacks that are 100 calories each,” she says matter-of-factly. “I went for one week without candy when I was doing this detox. The cleansing ended when I ate two Cinnabons at the airport.”

When Lauren is not experimenting at headquarters, she is showcasing Dylan’s Candy Bar at events, traveling plenty to Los Angeles and London to scope out future stores, and co-hosting charity events for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society. Between TV appearances on talk shows, Lauren is also on tour for her first book, Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life, a photo-driven coffee-table collector’s item spilling with confectionary ideas for all occasions, plus the histories  behind the iconic candies of different holidays.

With profitable stores in Manhattan, East Hampton, Garden City, Orlando, and Houston, as well as products in Yankee stadium and selected luxury retailers like Neiman Marcus and the W Hotel, Lauren declares candy is “recession proof.” She also wages the success of her store by, what else, pop culture. “Millions of tourists put us on their list of the top five places to visit. And Dylan’s been the backdrop for shows like Gossip Girl and Keeping up with the Kardashians.” Not to mention, Lauren has recently been immortalized as a Barbie doll that dons a gown inspired by lollipop trees, naturally.

Through future partnerships and international expansion in the works, the CEO of Dylans’ Candy Bar is reigning in the niche candy and entrepreneurial worlds. Lauren took the road-more-difficult when she forged a career path separate from her famous father, but—we’re not going to sugarcoat it—she is living a sweet life of her own.