Fannie May facts for kids
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Founder | H. Teller Archibald |
| Products | Chocolate bars, bonbons |
| Parent | Ferrero SpA (2017–) |
Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc. is an American company that makes delicious chocolates. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. Today, a big international company called Ferrero SpA owns Fannie May.
Fannie May makes many different kinds of chocolates. These include chocolate bars, caramels, and special boxed chocolates. They also create candies for people with allergies. For example, some products are made without gluten, milk, or eggs. Many of Fannie May's chocolates are also certified kosher.
Contents
History of Fannie May
How Fannie May Started
The very first Fannie May shop opened in 1920. It was located on North LaSalle Street in Chicago. Henry Teller Archibald started the company. In the beginning, they mostly sold creamy buttercream candies.
Challenges During World War II
During the Second World War, it became difficult to find some ingredients. However, Fannie May was determined. They did not change their recipes or lower the quality of their candies. They wanted to keep their chocolates just as good.
Growing Across the Midwest
In the mid-1980s, Fannie May opened its first store in Missouri. By the end of that decade, they had more than 250 stores. Most of these shops were in the Midwest.
In 1992, the company grew even more. They bought another chocolate maker called Fanny Farmer. This added 200 more stores, mainly in the northeastern United States.
Financial Troubles and New Owners
However, buying Fanny Farmer was a big challenge for the company. They faced financial difficulties and had to close over 200 of their stores. The company had grown too quickly without enough money to support all its new shops.
In 2004, a company called Alpine Confections bought Fannie May. They combined Fanny Farmer into the Fannie May brand. The chocolate production then moved to Ohio. Fannie May stores reopened in October 2004 with 45 locations.
In April 2006, Fannie May was sold again. This time, an online flower company, 1-800-Flowers.com, bought it for $85 million. The chocolates continued to be made in Ohio. However, the main office for Fannie May stayed in Chicago.
Owned by Ferrero SpA
In March 2017, a very large Italian candy company bought Fannie May. This company is called Ferrero SpA. They bought Fannie May and Harry London from 1-800-Flowers.com for $115 million. Ferrero hoped to help Fannie May grow even more. They wanted to sell Fannie May chocolates in many more places, not just in the Midwest.
Popular Fannie May Products
Fannie May has introduced many popular candies over the years. Here are some of them:
- 1920: The first Buttercreams were introduced.
- 1946: The Pixie was created. This candy quickly became the company's most popular product.
- 1963: The Mint Meltaway was introduced. It is a mix of dark chocolate and peppermint, covered in chocolate or a green pastel coating.
- 1972: The Trinidad was created. It has a dark truffle center covered in white chocolate and toasted coconut.
- 1992: The Carmarsh was introduced. This candy combines caramel, marshmallow, and chocolate.
