Where to find desserts for before or after Valentine’s Day dinner around Tacoma

Is it Valentine’s Day in Tacoma without a heart-shaped box of chocolates from Johnson Candy?

The family-owned Hilltop shop is, as it has been for 101 years and counting, ready for a busy week. Also in recent years, the Tacoma area has seen an influx of new businesses with sweet treats at their core. Some are doing something special for Feb. 14, while others offer an alternative to a full-fledged dinner-date. A few are open later than many restaurants, which means you’ll have time to get there.

Here are details on candy, sweet waffles, fun drinks and more dessert destinations for your lovely day, or any day that feels right to say, “I love you!”

Johnson Candy Co.

• 924 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253-272-8504, johnsoncandyco.com
• Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Heart-shaped boxes ($42.50) at Johnson Candy feature a variety of house chocolates, from dark and milk to nut and cream, plus a couple wrapped in shiny pink foil. You can always build your own box, including with gluten-free, sugar-free or vegan options. The pastel ice mints also feel apropos of the season. Order online or by phone, but in-person you’re likely to get a little treat for yourself, too!

Locus Cafe

• 4822 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-319-8097, locuscafe.net
• Daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Since opening late last year, Locus Cafe has become a warm and cozy spot in the South End for morning coffees to nighttime hangs with a sweet drink and dessert. In addition to mainstays of Banana Pudding, Biscoff butter and hazelnut-chocolate lattes ($5.95+), served hot or cold, seasonal sippers include a pretty matcha with strawberry cream and toasted marshmallow. Swing by for a midday or after-dinner treat: made-to-order crepes, waffles and cute mini pancakes ($12.95-$15.95), topped with house sauces like Pistachio Dream, Ferrero and Strawberry Cheesecake. There are board games if that’s your love language.

La Boba Milk Tea & Coffee

• 2614 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-973-0244, labobamilktea.com
• Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

The young, well-trained staff at La Boba in the Proctor District will guide you to a freshly brewed tea that suits your and your loved one’s tastes. The flagship milk teas ($5.95-$6.50 + toppings) include a lovely jasmine oolong, strawberry milk and crème brûlée. Add boba or other jellies and coco or sea-foam cream to your liking. Fruity options range from kiwi-grape to mango breeze, and freezes get wild with taro-ube and choco-taro-Oreo. They also brew traditional Vietnamese phin coffee if you prefer something stronger. Pair with a croffle ($7.50-$8.50), flaky croissant dough pressed into waffle form and topped here with a scoop of ice cream and strawberries, Oreos or a crème brûlée-inspired cream.

Lune Cafe

• 1916 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, lunesglow.com
• Sunday-Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
• 8420 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood (drive-thru only)
• Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Based in Seattle, Lune Cafe expanded to Tacoma last year with a sit-down cafe and to Lakewood with a drive-thru-only operation, similar to one in Auburn. Coffee drinks ($5.75+) come in seasonal and signature flavors, from caramel brûlée chai (for winter) to Pistachio Heaven and Purple Glow with vanilla and lavender. Fruit spritzers and milkshakes also sweeten the deal, preferably alongside a contemporary dessert — the crepes ($12.99) especially are loaded with drizzled chocolate, plus candies, nut or fruit. Later weekend hours make Lune a prime destination after dinner downtown.

One Day Cafe

• 9601 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 235-507-8039, instagram.com/onedaycafe.wa
• Sunday-Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

This Lakewood cafe, which shares a plaza with Tacoma Szechuan, Cho Dang Tofu and Pal-do World Market, features drinks (most $7-$8 + toppings) that stand out from the sea of bubble tea shops. Try black sesame einspanner: espresso and milk layered with a soft whipped cream that slowly falls through the rest of the drink as you sip. For Valentine’s Day, specials include a coconut-taro-strawberry number; green tea with blueberries, strawberries, soda and heart-shaped jellies; and matcha with strawberry cream and coconut water. You’ll also find croffles here, but house desserts shine — Basque-style cheesecake and Earl-Grey-matcha tiramisu (limited quantities). From 12-4 on Feb. 14, a few small businesses will pop-up in the cafe with cookies, brioche doughnuts, K-Pop trinkets and dog treats.

Little Miss Sweets NYC

• My Commercial Kitchen, 3812 S. Wright Ave., Tacoma, littlemisssweetsnyc.com
• Pre-order online or by phone, 253-442-4564, for pickup or delivery

A fully gluten-free bakery focused on New York- and Puerto Rican-inspired desserts, Little Miss Sweets has a few special Valentine’s Day offers. A classic NYC cookie box ($32) brings together Italian rainbow cookies (gluten-free of course!) and sandwich cookies with chocolate. The Boricua Love Box ($24) features heart-shaped guava and cheese pastelitos and chocolate-covered besitos de coco (akin to coconut macaroons). A date-night bundle ($30-$48) does it up with a trio of chef Lydia Mendez’s cheesecakes (strawberry crunch, white-chocolate raspberry, triple-chocolate) and a bottle of spiced coquito, a traditional Puerto Rican coconut drink ripe with spices. Pre-order online for pickup at the shared kitchen in Central Tacoma.

Three Hearts

• 1116 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253-201-7742, threeheartstacoma.com
• Daily 7 a.m.-3 p.m. — preorder by Feb. 10 for Feb. 13-14 pickup

The pastry case at this Hilltop bakery and cafe will likely be extra-brimming for the holiday (see: sweet and savory brioche buns), but for the planners: Pre-order the special Valentine’s Day box by Feb. 10 for pickup on Feb. 13 or 14 during regular business hours. It includes a heart-shaped danish with pastry cream, strawberry jam and raspberry meringue; a passion-fruit tart with curd, whipped white chocolate ganache and a dark chocolate heart; lavender-lemon madeleines dipped in white chocolate; and pretty heart-shaped chocolate shortbread cookies drizzled with raspberry white chocolate.