Anyone can cook savory items. Throw a steak on flame, wait an amount of time, and dinner is ready. But to make it on the softer side of the line, the place where sugar, flour, and patience become sweets takes a special kind of magic.

In August 2007, Joel Dondis and Tariq Hanna partnered up to turn a Magazine Street storefront into Sucré—a pastel-hued, kaleidoscope of confections. New Orleanians, eager for a break from drywall, insurance agents and the quiet hum of a neighborhood full of generators, sought solace in this store. Here was gelato, truffles, and more, a calm setting, and perhaps just a twinge of nostalgia for McKenzie’s. But for Hanna it was likely those customers were seeking something else, “Desserts scratch two main emotions for humans: comfort and guilt.”

It makes sense when you think about it. Pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving makes anyone feel at home, chocolate ice cream and break-ups go hand in hand, and why else would candy and tabloids be on the same aisle of the supermarket? They both give the consumer a guilty pleasure and are usually an impulsive purchase. As the city of New Orleans regained its footing, residents found Sucré to be an oasis amid the chaos; a place where, as Dondis says, you can take a 10-minute vacation.

The Sucré brand has ambitious plans to open more shops in the coming years across the South. All of this expansion will be fueled by the company’s recently opened pastry plant in the heart of New Orleans. The 4,000 square foot facility is bright, airy, and a constant whir of activity. In one area, all the pastries, cakes, and delightful macaroons are constructed. Huge proofers, rollers, and ovens provide a temperature-controlled environment that allows flour, butter, and yeast to evolve into a croissant.

Another room houses electronic waterfalls from which dark chocolate ganache, creamy dulce de leche, and white chocolate flow over molds to make truffles and bon bons. Favorites emerge including the sea salt chocolate truffles and the absinthe truffles, but by far the standout is the brown butter truffle.

Another machine churns local cream and Louisiana cane sugar into a rich, mouth-coating gelato. The flavors of gelato combine the techniques of Italy and local flavors; here is Bananas Foster, praline, nectar cream, and root beer float. All of the goods made here are then packaged and shipped either to a Sucré store or to sweet-loving web surfers.

The reason behind Sucré’s expansion? “It takes a lot to run a company like this, labor, equipment, and overhead. In order to make a profit,” Dondis says. “We have to reach a critical mass of stores, which is why we are opening other locations in the best cities in the country,” Metairie, Orlando, Baton Rouge, and Houston—prepare your sweet teeth.

Walking around Sucré’s production facility, one gets the sense of the sheer size of Dondis and Hanna’s vision. The hulking, tank-like machinery alone costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. The “kitchen” is one of the few in the country that is making not only breads and chocolates but gelatos and pastries. “We are a destination work environment; professionals want to work here,” says Dondis. Indeed, Sucré recently ran a nationwide ad looking for apprentices and had over 80 applicants for the position. Interviews went on for three weeks, with two to three candidates getting a shot to stagier at Sucré.

Jennifer, a pastry chef, moved to New Orleans with her boyfriend following their graduation from the Culinary Institute of America. As she rolled fondant to place on a cake which would resemble a table saw, she portrayed the profile of the new immigrant to New Orleans, the American from elsewhere who moves here to follow a passion which can not be fulfilled elsewhere. “The way we look at pastries here is different from any other place,” says Jennifer. “That is part of the reason I wanted to work here.”

While some may think expansion in a time of economic disaster is a fool’s gamble, Joel Dondis believes his product is just what the nation needs: a brief respite from the grind, a chance to have a Proustian reaction and enjoy a scoop of gelato. Explaining his philosophy, he related a story from an early mentor of his who told Dondis, “It’s one thing to create a nice dish; it’s another thing to make a living off of it.” It is hard to argue with his results thus far.