SIOUX CITY | Customers in their 50s and 60s recall their grandmothers wearing long white gloves while purchasing Annaclairs at the former downtown Younkers department store.
At the time, John Sadler, manager of Palmer’s Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, 405 Wesley Parkway, said Price Candy Company owned a kitchen in each store where they made the sweet treats that feature pecans and a vanilla center covered in chocolate.
The candies, now manufactured in Texas, are a favorite at Palmer's Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe and harken back to a simpler time in Sioux City.
"They're not Palmer Candy Company-made, but they're related to Sioux City," Sadler said.
Palmer's famous Twin Bing candy bar reigns supreme at the Candy Shoppe. The round, chewy cherry-flavored nougats coated with a mixture of peanuts an chocolate are a top seller, along with chocolate-covered peanuts.
People are also reading…
Sadler said the most common question customers ask is, "Do you have any Bing seconds?"
But the inventory at Palmer's Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe goes beyond delectable confections. To the right of the glass counter displaying fudge and an assortment of hand-decorated truffles, lies the specialty foods sections. Tourists and locals alike can browse an assortment of teas, jams, marinades and so much more. Several of the items for sale are made locally.
Bags of Koated Kernels, produced by Sioux City's own American Popcorn Company -- the makers of Jolly Time, sit in stacked wicker baskets. The specialty popcorn comes in flavors such as raspberry cheesecake, cinnamon roll and white cheddar.
"The popcorn sells non-stop all week," Sadler said.
Jars of Tall Paul's Pickled Asparagus, made in Hinton, Iowa; beer bread mixes from Sac City, Iowa, and Beatrice, Neb.; and bags of roasted coffee from Rosie's Coffee Roasting Co. of Sioux City, are also for sale.
"They've used some historic Sioux City photos on the bags," Sadler said of Rosie's Coffee. "Once in a while we see some of ours on there."
Assistant manager Jessica Rohde said people from all over the United States and several foreign countries have stopped at the Candy Shoppe and been pleasantly surprised by the specialty food items.
"'Your store rivals stores in the major cities in the U.S.' "We hear that from time to time," she recalled. "They think the candy experience is just awesome. They're surprised to see this area back there."
Sadler said he would like to have more Siouxland vendors, but many of them don't have access to a commercial kitchen, a requirement to be able to sell their products in stores.
A local woman rented a commercial kitchen to produce 900 jars of jam for Sadler. She was used to making 12 jars at a time in a kettle. The majority of the jam, he said, was shipped to a corporation in Sioux Falls, S.D., that wanted Iowa-made products. The rest were set out for sale in the specialty foods section.
Sadler said he has a local honey producer lined up to sell honey during the summer, and will visit the farmer's market to try to lock in additional producers.
"I always go to the farmers market and talk to people. A lot of them don't have a commercial kitchen," he said. "We just keep looking. The commercial kitchen thing is the big stinker."
