Unearth The Voyage
Ohio has a serious sweet tooth, and honestly, the state has earned it. Long before candy became a mass-produced, factory-line affair, small Ohio towns were home to chocolatiers and confectioners who built their recipes from scratch and their reputations one satisfied customer at a time.
Some of these companies have been around for over a century, surviving economic shifts, changing tastes, and every diet trend imaginable. What follows is a look at ten candy companies rooted deep in Ohio history that are still crafting the good stuff today, proving that great chocolate and old-fashioned candy-making never really go out of style.
1. Wittich’s Candy Shop – Circleville
Founded in 1840, Wittich’s Candy Shop in Circleville holds the title of one of the oldest continuously operating candy shops in the entire United States. That is not a small claim, and Wittich’s backs it up every single day.
The shop is closely tied to the Circleville Pumpkin Show, one of Ohio’s most beloved annual festivals. Wittich’s has been a fixture at that event for generations, serving up sweets to pumpkin-patch fans year after year.
Their handmade chocolates and old-fashioned hard candies are made using recipes that have been passed down through the decades. Nothing here feels rushed or mass-produced.
Locals treat a visit to Wittich’s less like a shopping trip and more like a hometown ritual. For anyone curious about where Ohio’s candy tradition truly began, Circleville is a very good place to start.
2. Spangler Candy Company – Bryan
Dum Dums lollipops have a mystery flavor, and Spangler Candy Company has been keeping that secret since they acquired the brand in 1953. The company itself dates back to 1906, making it one of Ohio’s longest-running candy manufacturers.
Based in Bryan, a small city in northwest Ohio, Spangler produces millions of lollipops, candy canes, and circus peanuts every single year. Their candy canes are especially popular during the holiday season, and the company is one of the largest candy cane producers in the country.
What makes Spangler stand out is their commitment to staying in Bryan despite decades of industry pressure to relocate. The company employs a large portion of the local workforce and has become part of the town’s identity.
Spangler proves that a candy company rooted in a small Ohio town can still compete at a national level without losing its hometown character.
3. Forbes Chocolate Company – Cleveland
Cleveland’s Forbes Chocolate Company has been crafting quality chocolate products since 1946, building a reputation that extends well beyond Northeast Ohio. The company started as a small operation and grew steadily by focusing on consistency and craftsmanship.
Forbes specializes in chocolate coatings and confectionery products, supplying both retail customers and commercial clients. Their reach into the food industry means their chocolate has likely ended up in products that many Ohioans enjoy without even realizing the connection.
The company takes pride in using quality ingredients and maintaining standards that have kept them relevant for nearly eight decades. In an era when many regional candy makers have been absorbed by larger corporations or shut down entirely, Forbes has managed to hold its ground in Cleveland.
Their longevity is a testament to smart business decisions, loyal customers, and a product that simply does what good chocolate is supposed to do.
4. Harry London Candies – North Canton
Harry London Candies got its start in 1922 when founder Harry London began crafting chocolates in North Canton, Ohio. The company grew into one of the most recognizable chocolate brands in the Midwest, eventually earning a reputation for premium boxed chocolates and seasonal specialties.
At one point, the North Canton facility offered factory tours that drew visitors from across the state. Watching chocolate get made on a large scale turns out to be genuinely fascinating, and Harry London’s operation gave people a front-row seat to the whole process.
The brand has changed hands over the years, but its connection to North Canton and its Ohio roots remain part of its identity. Harry London Candies became particularly well known for their chocolate-covered pretzels and holiday gift boxes.
Their long history in Stark County reflects how deeply candy-making became woven into the fabric of everyday Ohio life over the twentieth century.
5. Esther Price Fine Chocolates – Dayton
Esther Price started selling her homemade chocolates door to door in Dayton during the 1920s, which is about as grassroots as a candy business can get. She eventually opened her first shop, and Dayton has been loyal to her brand ever since.
The company is especially known for its chocolate-covered creams, which have a devoted following in the Miami Valley region. People in Dayton do not just buy Esther Price chocolates for themselves; they gift them, they request them, and they consider them a local institution worth defending.
What sets Esther Price apart is the sense of personal history attached to every box. The brand feels like it belongs to Dayton in a way that goes beyond marketing.
Current ownership has worked to preserve the original recipes and the old-fashioned quality that made Esther Price a household name. Few Ohio candy companies carry this level of regional pride in every piece they produce.
6. Faroh’s Candies – Lorain
Faroh’s Candies in Lorain has been a neighborhood staple for decades, operating as a family-run shop that prioritizes handcrafted quality over high-volume production. The kind of place where the person making your chocolates might also be the one ringing you up at the counter.
The shop is known for its wide variety of chocolate-covered treats and seasonal candy offerings that keep regulars coming back throughout the year. Lorain locals have a genuine attachment to Faroh’s, the kind that develops when a business treats customers like neighbors rather than transactions.
Faroh’s represents a style of candy-making that larger companies often cannot replicate: small-batch, personal, and deeply connected to the community it serves. Their longevity in Lorain speaks to the loyalty of their customer base and the quality of their product.
In a competitive market, that combination is rare and worth recognizing.
7. Malley’s Chocolates – Cleveland
Since 1935, Malley’s Chocolates has been one of Cleveland’s most beloved sweet traditions. Founded by John Malley, the company started with a single shop and grew into a regional chain with multiple Northeast Ohio locations, all while keeping production local.
Malley’s is particularly famous for its chocolate-covered strawberries, which have become a signature item that customers seek out for gifts, celebrations, and personal indulgence alike. Their ice cream offerings have also built a loyal following over the years.
The company has stayed family-connected through multiple generations, which helps explain why the product quality has remained consistent for nearly ninety years. Malley’s manages to feel both established and approachable, a balance that many businesses aim for but few actually achieve.
Cleveland residents often describe Malley’s as part of growing up in the area, which is about the highest compliment a candy company can receive from its hometown crowd.
8. Gorant Chocolatier – Youngstown
Gorant Chocolatier has been part of the Youngstown candy scene since 1949, and the Mahoning Valley has repaid that loyalty with generations of devoted customers. The company built its name on hand-dipped chocolates and quality ingredients at a time when those details really mattered to buyers.
Their product line includes a wide range of truffles, creams, and seasonal specialties that keep the selection interesting throughout the year. Gorant’s chocolate-covered pretzels and nut clusters have developed particularly strong fan bases among repeat customers.
What is notable about Gorant is how the brand has adapted over the decades without abandoning what made it successful in the first place. Youngstown has seen significant economic changes since 1949, and Gorant has weathered those shifts while continuing to produce chocolates that reflect the company’s original standards.
That kind of resilience, paired with a consistently good product, is exactly why the name still carries weight in Northeast Ohio today.
9. Anthony-Thomas Chocolates – Columbus
Anthony-Thomas Chocolates has been a Columbus staple since 1952, and their Buckeye candies have practically become an unofficial symbol of Ohio pride. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate that defines the Buckeye treat has made Anthony-Thomas famous well beyond the borders of Franklin County.
The company operates its own factory in Columbus, and public tours have given generations of Ohioans a chance to see large-scale chocolate production up close. That kind of transparency builds trust, and Anthony-Thomas has never shied away from showing how their candy gets made.
Their retail locations across central Ohio carry an extensive selection of boxed chocolates, seasonal items, and custom gift options. Anthony-Thomas has also maintained a strong presence in corporate gifting and special events, expanding their reach while staying grounded in Columbus.
For a city that loves its football team and its candy in roughly equal measure, Anthony-Thomas is as Ohio as it gets.
10. Winans Chocolates + Coffees – Piqua
Winans Chocolates + Coffees traces its roots back to 1898 in Piqua, Ohio, making it one of the oldest family-owned confectionery businesses in the state. The Winans family has kept the operation going across multiple generations, which is a genuinely impressive feat in any industry.
The company is known for combining artisan chocolates with quality coffee offerings, a pairing that has proven popular with customers who appreciate both. Their hand-dipped chocolates are made using traditional methods, and the variety of flavors and fillings keeps the selection from ever feeling predictable.
Winans has expanded beyond Piqua with additional retail locations across western Ohio, but the brand has never lost its small-town roots or its commitment to handcrafted quality. There is something reassuring about a candy company that has outlasted two World Wars, the Great Depression, and every passing food trend.
Winans is the kind of Ohio story that deserves to be told often.
