When Sarah Vitali said she found a surprising lack of community-focused food areas, she realized that she wanted to make a change. 

That’s when Treat Sweet Co. opened June 6 in the Wolfe It Down Food Court off Main Street. She and her husband, Wayne Vitali, owner of Kingdom of Pho, she wanted to create a place to bring families and students together using sweet treats. The menu features several different types of boba, fried ice cream, funnel cakes, mochi bites and more. To make it family-friendly, she focused on building a business with appealing lighting, multiple places to sit and eat, as well as outdoor space where kids can be kids.

Why did you make Treat Sweet Co?

“There was no dessert on the lot, but we wanted to make it even more than just fried desserts. We wanted it to be like an experience and a vibe that was family-friendly and also college student-friendly,” Vitali said.

She expanded on her business by describing the need for more spaces for families to enjoy. The outdoor court makes it easy to enjoy the warm weather and host live events, too.

When did you start putting it together?

They originally began putting equipment in the shop in January, where they planned to open a wings restaurant. Their idea quickly pivoted to desserts after some consideration.

Vitali said, “In April, we started really renovating it, the menu brand, how we wanted to convey the brand through decorations and colors, and even through the flavor combinations that we added to our sweets.”

Why did you choose this area?

“We want this to be a place where people feel like they can come with their kids and relax. I know sometimes when we take our kids to different places, like a restaurant or something, we worry: 'Are they behaving, or are they being too loud?'” Vitali explained.

The outdoor seating area with built-in shade and good weather was also a factor in their decision.

How did you start your menu?

“Since a lot of people around here … probably aren't going to be familiar with mochi donuts … it was really important for us to present it appropriately,” Vitali explained.

The nearest place that sells mochi donuts is in Boise. She said that she understands they are a new food for many people, so starting there was a fun idea.

How’d you learn to make your foods?

Learning to bake and make sweet foods was something new for Vitali, but she explained it was worth the challenge:

“We like to learn how to do things while we're doing this. … I did the same thing with this, the funnel fries, mochi donuts, figuring out how to fry the ice cream, how to make the mochi donuts so that they're the right texture that they're supposed to be.”

What’s your favorite thing to make from the menu?

“My favorite one is the sticky mango fries, inspired by an Asian dessert that's common. There's different variations of it ... and I wanted to have that in a full fried horn. That one's my favorite.”

Sticky mango rice is made from mangoes, sweetened condensed milk, and rice, but they put a spin on it by frying it in funnel fry batter.

Will your menu change?

“If people want to follow us on social media, they'll be able to … keep tabs on special items that we have, because we'll have seasonal flavors as the weather changes, so in the fall people can be looking for all the yummy fall flavors that we're going to start incorporating.”

Vitali is excited to create a space for all to enjoy, whether it’s just for the food or the community. Treat Sweets Co. is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The owners hope to foster a community within the area.