Fannie May

A classic tale of success, downfall, and renewal, Fannie May Candies was founded by H. Teller Archibald, who opened the first store in Chicago, Illinois, in 1919. Archibald Candy Corp. established itself as a leading manufacturer and retailer of chocolates and confections. For the next decade and a half, new shops opened regularly and by 1935, four dozen shops in Illinois and neighboring states had opened. As ingredients became scarce during World War II, handcrafted boxed chocolates were difficult to produce in quantity, and quality control was difficult to maintain. Store closings resulted. Debt increased, and business faltered. The Thorne family ran the company during the 1970s and 1980s (in 1980, after Denton Thorne died, his wife, Jean Thorne, and his financial officer, John Hughes, took over the company). Ownership changed again in 1992, when the Jordan Company took over the Fannie May Candy Shops. In 2002 the company filed for Chapter 11, seeking bankruptcy protection following a string of acquisitions that led to unsustainable debt. In 2004 Alpine Confections, Inc. bought Fannie May and Fanny Farmer brands (Fanny Farmer also was founded in 1919 and was purchased by Archibald in 1995). Both companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Alpine Confections, Inc., based in Utah. Plans included the reopening of all 228 Fannie May stores in Chicago and a desire to restore the reputation and quality of the original brand. Pixies, introduced in 1946, made of caramel and nuts with a chocolate coating, are once again available to throngs of fans, as are other well known Fannie May favorites: Trinidads (crunchy coconut covered chocolates, introduced in 1970), Nut Fudge, and Mint Meltaways, as well as vanilla buttercreams and chocolates truffles.