# Fannie May > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fannie_May > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fannie_May.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_May > Source revision: 1349343789 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American chocolate manufacturer}} {{About|the brand of chocolates||Fannie Mae}} {{Infobox company | name = Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc. | logo = Fannie may logo.png | logo_size = 250 | type = [Subsidiary](/source/Subsidiary) | industry = [Food](/source/Food_industry) | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | founded = {{Start date and age|1920}} in [Chicago](/source/Chicago), Illinois, U.S. | founder = H. Teller Archibald | defunct = | hq_location_city = | hq_location_country = | area_served = | key_people = | products = [Chocolate bar](/source/Chocolate_bar)s, [bonbon](/source/bonbon)s | owner = | num_employees = | num_employees_year = | parent = [Ferrero SpA](/source/Ferrero_SpA) (2017–) | brands = | subsid = | website = {{URL|https://www.fanniemay.com/|fanniemay.com}} }} '''Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc.''' is an American [chocolate](/source/chocolate) manufacturer headquartered in [Chicago](/source/Chicago) and currently owned by multinational company [Ferrero SpA](/source/Ferrero_SpA).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoWlCmNDA3QC&dq=fanny+farmer+candy+book&pg=PA213|title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink|editor-last1=Smith|editor-first1=Andrew F.|last=Marton|first=Renee|date=May 1, 2007|work=[Oxford Companions](/source/The_Oxford_Companion_to_Food)|publisher=[Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press)|isbn=978-0195307962|edition=1st|location=Oxford/New York|page=213|type=Hardcover|accessdate=August 4, 2014}} Fannie May manufactures a broad variety of products including enrobed, barks, caramels, squares, berries, twist wrapped, molded, flow wrapped, and boxed chocolates. Fannie May produces various candies without gluten, milk, honey, oils, wheat or eggs for those with the relevant allergies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fanniemay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplay?c=healthandchocolate&t=A&storeId=20052&catalogId=12302&langId=-1|title=Health & Chocolate - Fannie May|website=www.fanniemay.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131001104/http://www.fanniemay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplay?c=healthandchocolate&t=A&storeId=20052&catalogId=12302&langId=-1|archive-date=2013-01-31|access-date=2017-05-08}} The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America certified many of Fannie May's products to be kosher.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fanniemay.com/wcsstore/FannieMay/images/kosher.pdf|title=Archived copy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509222532/http://www.fanniemay.com/wcsstore/FannieMay/images/kosher.pdf|archive-date=2015-05-09|access-date=2017-05-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fanniemay.com/wcsstore/FannieMay/images/kosher.pdf|title=Orthodox Union Letter of Certification|last=Genack|first=Rabbi Menachem|date=October 1, 2009|website=|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509222532/http://www.fanniemay.com/wcsstore/FannieMay/images/kosher.pdf|archive-date=May 9, 2015|access-date=}} == History == The first Fannie May shop was opened in 1920 by Henry Teller Archibald at 11 North LaSalle Street in Chicago, selling buttercream candies. The [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) made some of the ingredients in Fannie May's recipes hard to come by. However, they did not change their recipes, or change the candies' quality.{{cite web |url=http://www.fanniemay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplay?c=history&t=A&storeId=20052&catalogId=12302&langId=-1 |title=History of Chocolate |publisher=Fannie May |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810142734/http://www.fanniemay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplay?c=history&t=A&storeId=20052&catalogId=12302&langId=-1 |archive-date=August 10, 2014 |access-date=August 4, 2014}} In the mid-1980s, the company opened its first store in Missouri. By the end of the decade, more than 250 locations were in operation, mostly in the [Midwest](/source/Midwestern_United_States). In 1992, the Archibald Candy Company expanded its business by acquiring chocolatier [Fanny Farmer](/source/Fanny_Farmer){{cite web |url=http://www.thegavel.net/fanfarm.html |title=Fanny Farmer: The Sweet Collectibles |first1=Leon |last1=Poirier |first2=Rose |last2=Poirier |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527193613/http://www.thegavel.net/fanfarm.html |archive-date=May 27, 2013 |url-status=dead}} and its 200 retail stores in the [northeastern United States](/source/northeastern_United_States) as a sister brand to Fannie May.{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE4DE1E3FF936A3575BC0A964958260 |title=Fanny Farmer Parent Will Sell the Candy-Store Chain |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=August 5, 1992 |access-date=August 1, 2014}} The acquisition proved too much for Archibald, which filed for bankruptcy and closed more than 200 of its retail stores. An errant path of merger and acquisitions, whereby the company had become the largest chain of candy retailers in the country but without adequate financing and a viable corporate strategy, was blamed for the bankruptcy.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/02/26/series-of-mistakes-doomed-candymaker/ |newspaper=[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune) |date=February 26, 2004 |title=Series of mistakes doomed candymaker: Some blame owner, strategy, but other causes listed too |first1=John |last1= Schmeltzer |access-date=August 3, 2014}} In 2004, Alpine Confections purchased Archibald out of receivership, merged Fanny Farmer into Fannie May, and moved production to its own [Green, Ohio](/source/Green%2C_Ohio)-based Harry London Candies, which had been acquired a year earlier. Fannie May was reopened in October 2004{{cite web |url=http://www.gourmetretailer.com/top-story-alpine_confections_awarded_fannie_may_and_fanny_farmer_brands-4840.html |title=Alpine Confections Awarded Fannie May and Fanny Farmer Brands |publisher=Gourmetretailer.com |access-date=2013-04-22}} with 45 retail outlets. In April 2006, Fannie May was sold for $85 million plus an [earnout](/source/earnout) to publicly traded Internet retailer [1-800-Flowers.com](/source/1-800-Flowers.com).{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paragon-capital-partners-completes-sale-of-fannie-may-confections-brands-inc-to-1-800-flowerscom-55880692.html|title=Paragon Capital Partners Completes Sale of Fannie May Confections Brands, Inc. to... - re> NEW YORK, May 2 /PRNewswire/ |publisher=Prnewswire.com |location=New York |access-date=2012-03-07}} The chocolates and candy continued to be manufactured in Ohio under the name Fannie May Confections Brands Inc, while the Fannie May corporate headquarters remained in Chicago. In March 2017, the Italian confectionery giant Ferrero SpA bought Fannie May and Harry London from 1-800-Flowers.com, for $115 million.[https://www.candyindustry.com/articles/87652-ferrero-to-purchase-fannie-may-confections-brands-for-115-million Ferrero to purchase Fannie May] on Candy Industry, March 16, 2017 by Alyse Thompson At the time, Ferrero indicated that it hoped to expand Fannie May beyond its currently regional market.{{Cite news |url=http://www.candyindustry.com/articles/87652-ferrero-to-purchase-fannie-may-confections-brands-for-115-million |title=Ferrero to purchase Fannie May Confections Brands for $115 million |access-date=2017-05-08 |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Business_News/2017/03/Ferrero_International_to_acqui.aspx?ID=%7B12E83EB8-269B-408A-9CFE-7D01AEA15529%7D&cck=1 |title=Ferrero International to acquire Fannie May Confections |access-date=2017-05-08}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-nutella-maker-buys-fannie-may-0318-biz-20170317-story.html |title=Italian maker of Nutella buys Fannie May |last=Channick |first=Robert |work=chicagotribune.com |access-date=2017-05-08 |language=en-US}} ==Products== {{Unreferenced section|date=February 2024}} * 1920 Buttercreams are introduced. * 1946 The Pixie, the company's most popular candy to date, is introduced. * 1963 The Mint Meltaway, a combination of dark chocolate and peppermint coated with chocolate or a green pastel confection, is introduced. * 1972 The Trinidad, a dark truffle center enrobed in white confection and toasted coconut, is introduced. * 1992 The Carmarsh, a combination of caramel, marshmallow, and chocolate, is introduced. ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==Further reading== *{{cite book |title=Candy: The Sweet History |first1=Beth |last1=Kimmerle |publisher=Collectors Press, Incorporated |pages=176 |type=Hardcover |edition=1st American |date=September 2003 |location=Portland, Oregon |isbn=1888054832 }} ==External links== * {{official website}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060628034406/http://www.fanniemay.com/aboutus/ Fannie May Confections, Inc. History] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050828210259/http://www.piperjaffray.com/504 Consumer M&A Article on Alpine Confection, Inc.'s Purchase of Fannie May] {{Ferrero}} Category:Companies based in Chicago Category:Economy of the Midwestern United States Category:Confectionery companies of the United States Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2004 Category:American chocolate companies Category:Ferrero SpA --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fannie May](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_May) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_May?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.