Is your partner mad at you? Did you forget about your mother’s birthday? Are you really craving something sweet? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you should probably get some chocolate.
The Candy Factory, started by Georgia Lundgren in 1974, is an old-fashioned candy store located in downtown Columbia. The store serves up gourmet chocolates and candies ranging from classic chocolate-covered strawberries, specialty truffles and endless flavors of fudge to novelty items like chocolate-covered potato chips and chocolate pizza.
The store also includes a large retail space with all sorts of gift items, trinkets and cards, making it a perfect stop to put together a special gift for any occasion.
Current owner Amy Atkinson runs the store with her husband Mike and his parents Donna and Sam. The Atkinson family bought The Candy Factory from Lundgren in 1986. Amy Atkinson says they still keep in touch with Lundgren.
“Georgia is still a Candy Factory customer,” Amy says. “She gets a lifetime discount.”
Amy says the shop is very well-known for its chocolate-covered strawberries — but it also has a very unique secret caramel recipe.
“Most caramels, when you chew on them, they stick to your teeth, and you have to work really hard to chew on it,” she says. “Our caramel is really soft and smooth and nearly melts in your mouth.”
The shop owners stay true to the old-timey theme by making some of their candies using old-fashioned methods.
“Right now, we are making a lot of caramel apples,” Atkinson says. “We cook our caramel in an old-fashioned copper kettle on an open flame, and we hand-dip the apples into the hot liquid caramel.”
Although the store can’t share its secret caramel recipe, customers can go to the upstairs viewing room to watch Atkinson’s husband or the two other confectioners make the shop’s sweets free of charge.
Atkinson says the amount of candy they produce depends on the season and what holiday is coming up. However, she says, each holiday brings its own challenges.
“Valentine’s Day is very busy, but it’s only really busy for a week leading up to it,” Atkinson says. “Christmas is also very busy, but it’s really busy for up to a month and a half before. For Easter, we’ll make thousands of chocolate bunnies in all sizes. Each holiday has its own personality.”
The family-owned store is celebrating its 40th year in business, and Atkinson says the shop is proud to be a part of the community.