The chocolate factory store Schmidt’s Candy produces and sells handcrafted candy items. Its glass display cases feature sweet rabbits and bunnies, as well as sweets with salted caramel, frosting and more. The best-selling item is chocolate with jelly filling. A similar product was once the favorite treat of the founder of the company, German immigrant Frank Schmidt. Learn more about the confectionery paradise with a rich past at queens1.one.
It all started with a fountain
In 1923, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company connected the Queens shopping area to other parts of New York City via the subway. Two years later, Frank Schmidt decided to take advantage of the surge in consumer traffic by opening a soda fountain on Jamaica Avenue. Subsequently, in that same place, the innovative entrepreneur decided to establish a factory for the production of chocolate confectionery products. He got the idea from a publication called “67 tested ways for you to make money.” His goal was to combine old-world German chocolate recipes with high-quality ingredients. Furthermore, his efforts were successful.
Schmidt bought a house and lived above the store, so he was always up to date on the events in the area. He was able to keep the firm operating even during difficult periods such as high competition, the Great Depression and other economic downturns. After Frank died, Schmidt’s Candy was taken over by his son. He worked here until his death, wanting a better life for his daughter Margie. Frank’s granddaughter began her career as a pharmacist and then taught management at St. John’s University. She taught students strategies like 5 planning steps, which she had never employed at her own family business.
Following her father’s death, Margie Schmidt took over the store. Throughout her work, she is guided by Schmidt’s Candy’s primary philosophy of preserving long-standing traditions by creating handmade branded sweets using only high-quality ingredients. In the 1980s and 1990s, people had to wait in line for two hours on public holidays to purchase renowned candies.
Schmidt works a minimum of 12 hours per day in the period from October to the end of spring. On the eve of high-demand holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter, she sets chocolate in display cases from 9 a.m. until 1 a.m., makes candies and cuts caramels on the original marble counter. Usually, the woman takes only two breaks per day, which are to walk her dogs. She allows herself to relax during the summer when the heat makes it impossible to produce handmade chocolate. Schmidt was able to keep the store going even during the COVID-19 outbreak by expanding internet sales by increasing online sales. She also adapted the products to customer preferences, introducing sugar-free candy and chocolate.
Although Schmidt is the only candy manufacturer in the store, a small team assists her with other tasks. For example, a neighbor oversees the store’s website and social media accounts. The neighbor’s kid occasionally runs Instagram and Facebook accounts. Another adolescent neighbor comes by on weekends and during school breaks to sell goods.
Tourist magnet of the area
Schmidt’s Candy is a Woodhaven attraction, and it is located on Jamaica Avenue. Woodhaven has one of the greatest tree populations in Queens and is close to Forest Park hiking trails. Woodhaven is a mix of urban and suburban land use, with low-density residential and commercial areas. The neighborhood offers the feel of a small town from a bygone era. It is home to a number of different ethnic groups.
Everyone who visits Woodhaven should stop by this historic establishment and try the exceptionally delicious chocolate bunnies, hearts and other treats. Don’t forget to buy a few boxes as gifts for your loved ones. You can fill them with a variety of delights, depending on your taste. Molds for numerous products date back to the 1920s and 30s. In 2022, Schmidt’s Candy was added to the National Register of Historic Places.