Zugar Haus was founded in 2009 by a lovely couple, Shay and Rich. In 2008, Shay reflected on her career path and decided to return to what she loves...food.

Shay remembered her time as a young art student at Fashion Institute of Technology and the countless hours she spent at coffee shops around NYC. During art classes, she would day-dream about opening a coffee shop of her own with an art gallery. Shay would scribble down shop names, ideas and cookie flavor combinations in her sketch books.

At this point, Shay began to reminisce about her childhood and how much of it was spent in the kitchen with family. With vivid memories of eating farmer’s spaetzle and homemade pâté tea sandwiches with her great aunt; or helping her great grandfather bottling sodas, sweet liquors and jam. This is where she learned about the sense of happiness and comfort; the sense of quality and care that went into its preparation.

With her sketch books in hand or as she calls them "her books of secrets," she decided to leap and not look back. Shay left the fashion industry and started Zugar Haus; a line of distinctive handmade artisan confections. She discovered her love of tropical fruits and flavors while living in Brazil and loves the complexity of incorporating them with traditional European family recipes.

As for Rich, he's quality control (guinea pig). He gets to taste every cookie, every biscotti and different flavor concepts. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it.

Oh, and maybe one day soon... that coffee shop will open.