Fanny Farmer facts for kids

Fanny Farmer was a well-known American company that made and sold delicious candy. It was famous for its chocolates and other sweet treats.

The company started in 1919 in Rochester, New York. It was founded by a Canadian businessman named Frank Patrick O'Connor. Over time, Fanny Farmer grew very big, with more than 400 stores across the country.

History of Fanny Farmer Candies

Frank O'Connor, the founder of Fanny Farmer, had already started another successful candy company in Canada called Laura Secord Chocolates before creating Fanny Farmer.

How Fanny Farmer Got Its Name

The company was named "Fanny Farmer" to sound like a famous American cooking expert named Fannie Farmer. She was well-known for her recipes and cookbooks, but she had passed away a few years before the candy company started. The candy company had no connection to her and didn't use her recipes. The spelling of the first name was changed from "Fannie" to "Fanny" to avoid any confusion.

Leading Through Tough Times

For many years, into the 1950s, a man named John D. Hayes was the president of Fanny Farmer. He was a very smart leader. He helped the company get through some difficult periods.

• During the Great Depression: When many people had less money, candy sales started to drop. John Hayes decided to lower the prices of the candy. This helped the company stay in business and allowed people to still enjoy their treats.
• During World War II: To make sure there was enough candy for American soldiers fighting overseas, John Hayes made a rule for Fanny Farmer stores in the U.S. They limited how much candy customers could buy. This helped send more candy to the troops.

Because of his great work, John Hayes was named "Candy Man of the Year" by the candy industry in 1955. He was also blind, which made his achievements even more impressive.

Changes in Ownership

In 1962, a group of investors took control of Fanny Farmer. They wanted the company to grow even faster. They opened many new stores, but this rapid expansion put a lot of financial pressure on the company.

Later, in 1992, another company called Archibald Candy Company bought Fanny Farmer. Archibald also owned Fannie May candies, which were popular in other parts of the U.S. Archibald wanted to become the biggest candy retailer, but they faced financial problems. This led to them filing for bankruptcy twice, in 2002 and 2004.

In 2004, a company called Alpine Confections bought Archibald. They combined Fanny Farmer with Fannie May. The candy production then moved to Alpine's factory in Green, Ohio, which also made Harry London Candies.

Fanny Farmer Today

In 2006, Fannie May (which now included Fanny Farmer) was sold to 1-800-Flowers.com, a company that sells gifts online. The candies continued to be made in Ohio.

Then, in 2017, Fannie May and Harry London were sold again, this time to a large international company called Ferrero SpA. While the original Fanny Farmer stores are no longer around, its legacy lives on through the candies that were merged into the Fannie May brand.