Fanny Farmer facts for kids

Fanny Farmer was a well-known American company that made and sold delicious candy. It was famous for its sweet treats across the United States.

The company started in Rochester, New York, in 1919. It was founded by a Canadian businessman named Frank Patrick O'Connor. Over time, Fanny Farmer grew to have more than 400 stores before it was bought by other companies.

History of Fanny Farmer

How the Company Started

Frank O'Connor, who started Fanny Farmer, had already created another candy company called Laura Secord Chocolates in Canada in 1913.

The name "Fanny Farmer" was chosen to honor a famous American cooking expert, Fannie Farmer. She was well-respected for her recipes and had passed away four years before the candy company began. Even though the company used her name, it did not use her recipes, and she was not involved with the candy stores. The spelling of the first name was changed slightly, from "Fannie" to "Fanny," just to avoid confusion.

For a while, Fanny Farmer stores looked quite similar to those of another candy maker from Chicago called Fannie May.

Leading the Company

John D. Hayes was the president of Fanny Farmer for many years, from its early days through the 1950s. He was a very smart businessman who helped the company through tough times.

During the Great Depression, when many people had less money, candy sales were dropping. Mr. Hayes decided to lower the prices of candy, which helped keep the company in business. Later, during World War II, he made sure that Fanny Farmer stores in the U.S. had less candy available. This was so there would be enough candy to send to American soldiers serving overseas.

Because of his great leadership, John D. Hayes was named "Candy Man of the Year" by the candy industry in 1955. It's also interesting to know that he was blind.

Changes and Challenges

In 1962, a group of investors from New York City and New England took control of the Fanny Farmer company. These investors did not have much experience in the candy business. They wanted the company to grow very quickly and spent a lot of money opening many new stores. However, there was also more competition from other candy shops. This fast expansion put a lot of financial pressure on the company.

In 1992, the Archibald Candy Company bought Fanny Farmer. At that time, Fanny Farmer had about 200 stores, mostly in the Northeastern United States. Archibald Candy Company also owned Fannie May candies, which were sold mainly in the Midwest. Fanny Farmer became a sister brand to Fannie May.

Fanny Farmer in the 21st Century

Over the years, Archibald Candy Company grew to be the largest chain of candy retailers in the country. However, it did not have enough money or a clear plan for the future. This led to the company going bankrupt two times, first in 2002 and again in 2004.

In 2004, a company called Alpine Confections bought Archibald Candy Company. Fanny Farmer was then combined with Fannie May. The production of the candies was moved to Alpine Confections' own factory, Harry London Candies, located in Green, Ohio. Fannie May stores reopened in October 2004 with 45 locations.

In April 2006, Fannie May was sold for $85 million to an online retailer called 1-800-Flowers.com. The chocolates and candies continued to be made in Ohio under the name Fannie May Confections Brands Inc. The main office for Fannie May remained in Chicago.

Later, in March 2017, Fannie May and Harry London were sold again. This time, Ferrero SpA, a large Italian candy company, bought them for $115 million.