The best-selling chocolate at one beloved Florida candy shop is a potato chip. Yes, a crunchy, salty chip dunked in milk chocolate is the treat everyone keeps reaching for.
That detail alone made me curious. Then I learned you can watch the candy being made through big glass windows, and the samples cost nothing.
I like how the whole place seems built around small, happy surprises. A little toy train runs overhead.
Chocolate gators and sand dollars line the cases, and the shelves change with every holiday.
I can’t imagine anyone leaving with empty hands. The shop has stuck around for roughly a century, which tells you plenty about what’s coming out of that kitchen.
So what keeps a family candy maker going strong for that long in a state full of shiny new attractions?
A Riverside Candy Shop You Will Smell Before You See
Chocolate perfume drifts across Beach Street the moment the doors swing open. Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory sits right in downtown Daytona Beach, facing the green lawns of Riverfront Park.
It’s a chocolate shop and a working candy factory under one roof. The front holds the cases and shelves, while the kitchen hums along in the back.
That setup makes it more than a quick stop for a gift box. You can shop, snack on free samples, and watch candy makers at work, all in one easy visit.
The location helps too. It sits just before the bridge to the beachside island, so it fits neatly into a day of exploring the mainland side of town.
Florida has plenty of flashy attractions, but few smell this good. The airy, simple shop keeps the focus where it belongs, on handmade sweets.
Everything except the gummies is made in-house, which gives the place real small-business charm. So if you’ve only zoomed past downtown on the way to the sand, consider this your sign to slow down.
Nearly a Century of Sweet Family History
Back in 1925, two candy makers named Mary Angell and Ernest Phelps started cooking up chocolates in Daytona Beach. Their names still hang over the door today.
That’s roughly a hundred years of stirring, molding, and dipping. In Florida, where buildings and businesses come and go fast, that kind of staying power feels rare.
The shop doesn’t hide its past either. Postings around the factory share bits of company history alongside notes about how chocolate gets made.
Reading them while you wait for a sample is a fun little time travel. You start to see the shop as a piece of Old Florida that never stopped working.
The company also has a Christian background, and it shows in the store. You’ll find chocolates and shirts with Bible verses, plus a prayer altar with a journal for written requests.
Some places treat history like a museum exhibit behind velvet ropes. Here, it’s still bubbling away in copper kettles and melting pots, one batch at a time, just steps from the cash register.
Front-Row Seats to the Candy Kitchen Through the Glass
Big viewing windows turn the factory floor into a live show. Workers melt chocolate into a glossy liquid, then shape it into all kinds of designs right before your eyes.
The tour is self-guided, and it’s free. A staff member explains how it works when you arrive and invites questions afterward.
Kids tend to press right up to the glass, and honestly, so do grown-ups. Watching rows of molds fill up is oddly calming, like a sugary aquarium.
Samples often sit near the viewing window too. Dark and milk chocolate nonpareils are common picks for taste testing, which makes the learning part much easier to enjoy.
Plan on spending around 45 minutes if you like to linger and read the signs. A quick peek takes far less, so it slides into almost any schedule.
Great for a rainy Florida afternoon or a break from the sun. And yes, you’ll probably leave knowing more about chocolate than you expected, plus carrying a bag you didn’t plan to buy.
Chocolate Potato Chips Lead a Lineup Full of Surprises
Salty plus sweet wins again. Chocolate-covered potato chips rank as a top seller here, and once you try one, the mystery clears up fast.
The crunch gives way to smooth milk chocolate, and the salt keeps you coming back. It’s the kind of snack that disappears before you reach the car.
Fans of classic candy have plenty to love as well. Chocolate-covered cherries, salted caramels, and dark chocolate raspberry jellies all have loyal followings.
Citrus lovers should look for the orange peels dipped in dark chocolate. They’re bright, a little chewy, and nicely grown-up.
The almond crunch bar and thin mints round things out for folks who like a snap. Peanut butter cups and assorted saltwater taffy sit nearby for anyone who wants a mix.
Variety is really the theme across the cases. Milk, dark, and white chocolate all get their turn, so building a little sampler bag becomes a happy puzzle you’ll want to solve slowly.
Gators, Seashells, and Sand Dollars Made of Chocolate
Only in Florida would a chocolate alligator feel like the obvious souvenir. The shop’s traditional chocolate gators come in sizes big enough to make a statement.
White chocolate sand dollars carry the beach theme even further. Little molded seashells, in dark and milk chocolate, make an easy treat for the ride home.
These creative shapes are a big part of the fun. Browsing the molds feels a bit like a scavenger hunt through coastal Florida wildlife.
Gift seekers have options too. A Large Sand Bag of treats makes a cute present, and gift boxes come in a wide range of price points.
Holidays bring even more designs, from Easter baskets to festive seasonal pieces. The store decorates for the occasion, so each visit can look a little different.
Kids usually zero in on the chocolate suckers covered in sprinkles on one side. Adults, meanwhile, tend to argue quietly over who gets the gator’s tail, which is a fair fight worth having.
The Made-to-Order Dubai Chocolate Parfait Worth Ordering First
Trendy treats rarely come from century-old kitchens, but this one does. The shop has jumped on the Dubai chocolate craze with its own parfait and bars.
The parfait is made to order at the front counter. That’s why it makes sense to request it early, then browse while it’s being assembled.
Fans praise the mix of flavors and textures in every spoonful. It’s a fun contrast to the traditional boxed chocolates sitting just a few feet away.
Dubai-style chocolate bars are on the shelves too. They give you a way to take the trend home without eating it all in the parking lot.
I like that an old Daytona favorite is still willing to try something new. It shows the kitchen isn’t just coasting on its past.
So go ahead and pair your parfait with a classic or two from the cases. Mixing the newest item with the oldest recipes might be the most fitting way to taste this place.
Sugar-Free Picks, Dog Treats, and Something for Everyone
Watching your sugar? Good news, the sugar-free selection here is a real draw, not an afterthought tucked on a bottom shelf.
That makes the shop friendlier for grandparents, snowbirds, and anyone counting carbs. Nobody has to stand by the door just holding the bags.
Even four-legged family members get a nod. The store sells dog treats, so your pup can share in the souvenir haul.
Little touches keep the mood playful throughout. Mini shopping baskets make browsing feel like a game, and a small train chugs along above your head.
The space feels nostalgic and cheerful, especially when it’s dressed up for holidays. Staff are known for being friendly and happy to recommend favorites.
Families, couples, and solo wanderers all fit right in. It works for a quick sweet fix or a slow browse, and the free samples make it easy to try before you commit to a whole box of anything.
Hours, Location, and Easy Nearby Stops
Timing matters, since this isn’t a late-night candy stop. Monday through Saturday, the doors open at 9:30 AM and close at 5:30 PM.
Sundays run shorter, from noon until 5 PM. That afternoon window can get busy, so a weekday morning might feel more relaxed.
You’ll find the shop at 154 S Beach St, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. It sits across from Riverfront Park, which makes a lovely spot to snack afterward.
Jackie Robinson Ballpark and other downtown shops are close by too. The Daytona International Speedway is roughly ten minutes away by car.
The tour and samples are free, which keeps this a budget-friendly Florida outing. Prices on chocolates run higher than grocery store bars, but you’re paying for handmade quality.
Online ordering is available if a craving strikes after you get home. Still, nothing beats choosing your own gator in person, then strolling along the river with a little paper bag in hand.
Why This Sweet Stop Deserves a Spot on Your Florida List
Few Florida attractions let you learn something, taste something, and spend nothing unless you want to. That combo is hard to beat.
Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory pulls it off with a smile and a sample tray. It’s simple, sweet, and a little old-fashioned in the best way.
History fans get a business that’s been at it since 1925. Curious eaters get chocolate potato chips and a trendy Dubai parfait in the same visit.
Families get windows to the kitchen and a train overhead. Gift hunters get gators, sand dollars, and boxes for every budget.
Is it the fanciest stop in Daytona Beach? Probably not, and that’s exactly the charm.
It feels like a slice of Old Florida that kept its doors open while everything around it changed. So next time you’re crossing toward the beach, swing by first.
Your sweet tooth, and maybe your dog, will thank you for the detour.
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