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Read our full coverage of See’s Candies 100 years, including an appreciation by columnist Jenn Harris, a Q&A with the company’s President & CEO, the story of a third-generation employee and fun facts and hacks to know about the candy.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
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Is See’s Candies the best in the world? It’s certainly the most memorable
Something special happens when you walk into a See’s shop, columnist Jenn Harris writes. Each one, regardless of the location, feels exactly the same. Brightly lit and smelling of toasted nuts, chocolate and vanilla, the stores beckon with the promise of nostalgia. The pristine white walls and the glowing display cases are the best kind of respite from reality. Candy is ostensibly what you came in for, but each trip is a way to connect with the person you were when you first tried See’s.
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Everything you ever wanted to know about See’s Candies
What’s it like being the king of a chocolate empire? Pat Egan became the president of See’s Candies in 2018 (and the CEO in 2019) after leaving an energy company also owned by Warren Buffett’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. He believes he’s a quick study but admits he used flashcards to ensure he could distinguish between the more than 100 pieces of candy See’s offers. And he’s visited every single See’s Candies store (there are more than 240).
We recently interviewed Egan to ask him about his time at See’s Candies, how the company develops new flavors and who comes up with all the samples.
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A life behind the counter at See’s Candies
Stacey Thorpe can put together a custom 1-pound box of See’s Candies, gift-wrapped, in five minutes or less. She knows where every piece of candy sits behind the counter at her Glendale store. Her speed and crisp corners, she boasts, have prompted many customers to ask if she’ll come home with them to wrap their holiday presents.
See’s Candies’ first shop.
(See’s Candies)
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Timeline: 100 years of See’s Candies
In 1921, Charles A. See, a Canadian chocolate sales representative, opened a small candy shop at 135 N. Western Ave. in Los Angeles with his wife, Florence, and his widowed mother, Mary See.
Make your own PB&J: Cut a Raspberry Cream and a Peanut Butter Patty in half, eat together and enjoy.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
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See’s Candies hacks, fun facts and limited flavors
Stacey Thorpe has worked for See’s Candies for 31 years. During that time, she’s developed some hacks to help make the most of her See’s Candies addiction. The following are Thorpe’s tips for how to use See’s Candies to upgrade your coffee, your movie theater popcorn, your Thanksgiving side dishes and more, along with some fun See’s facts from President and Chief Executive Pat Egan.
