Something Sweet: David Maugaotega opens Iced Chicago

David Maugaotega opened Iced Chicago in late-August, a bakery that marries the skills and talents he’s developed over the years in the sweets business with the flavors of his childhood growing up in Hawaii.

“Food was a great comfort to me as a kid; it is full circle that I set my heart on this industry,” said Maugaotega, 30, who has lived in Chicago for the past 12 years.

Iced is now only an online business, so social media has been key to his early success, along with his notoriety within the city’s LGBTQ community. After all, Maugaotega has for years been dancing on local bars, such as Hydrate Nightclub on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

“I would love to have a storefront in the future and create a distinct vibe specific to my branding,” Maugaotega said. “My short-term goals are to slowly introduce the Chicago community to the flavors that brought me joy as a kid and to experience growth past the threshold needed to cover the basics. My long-term goals for Iced are to open a storefront and create a space that enhances the customer experience of my products. I would love to expand and select a team to help manage the various aspects of the business and have a well-oiled machine running.”

But for now, it is all Maugaotega, a one-man show who juggles his daily duties, which include baker, decorator, customer service representative, social media manager, custodian, and more.

“I run a commercial kitchen from a shared food center, so all my ordering is done online. Purchases made day-of can be done through certain delivery apps (UberEATS, Grubhub, and DoorDash), and my website (www.icedchicago.com) arranges day-of and future orders,” he said. “I love collaborating with customers on a custom design of their choice, and those inquiries can be made through my site as well.”

Maugaotega said he is “honored” to join the list of fearless individuals who live free and proudly under the LGBTQ rainbow and apply that attitude to their businesses. He added that being a minority-owned business is amazing “because it is so important to diversify the workforce, no matter the industry, with people who can bring different experiences, attitudes, and perspectives.”

Despite his sculpted physique, his strength in the sweets industry has long been cakes, cupcakes and more, including cookies, bars, pastries and the like.

He is bringing his Pacific-influenced past to Chicago. Case in point, the delicious Hawaiian Rainbow Cake, which has layers of guava, lilikoi (passion fruit), and lime chiffon with a light vanilla mousse, and it is decked out with rainbow sprinkles. “Not only is the Hawaiian Rainbow Cake a visual treat with all the color, but it is such a unique taste that I don’t think I come across often,” he said.

The Chantilly Cream Puff is another Hawaii favorite that has become a staple of Hawaiian desserts. “It is choux pastry filled with chocolate pastry cream and a dollop of Hawaiian Chantilly on top,” he said.

A large part of Iced’s customer base so far has come from the LGBTQ community – “people who know me (from) the bars and have checked my personal social media, which features my custom (bakery) work.”

The pictures of Maugaotega’s scrumptious sweets sell themselves.

And his work also has landed on national TV. “One customer outreach ended up with my decorating work (appearing) on (an episode) of Chicago Med,” he said. “It was a part of set design and a sliver of the 18 cakes I made actually made it on the show; it was a proud moment for me,” he said.

For more information and to order cakes, cookies, cupcakes and more, go to icedchicago.com or email david@icedchicago.com. Keep up with Iced Chicago on Instagram @iced.chicago.