Mother, daughter team up to bring back Hoover’s, a beloved candy shop in Lawrence County
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Hoover’s Candy was a Bedford confectionary, with a reputation for homemade candies and fine chocolates that went all the way back to 1908 when the shop opened on the downtown square.
Cinnamon logs, caramels and caramel dipped apples made from the original Hoover’s recipe are what made the candy shop a local favorite.
The shop changed owners over the years and each change brought a slight shift to the business, but the candy remained a constant.
In 2021, Hoover’s Candy, which had closed about 10 years before, reopened.
Amanda Childers and her mother Jenny Purcell are the new owners. The partners, along with their crew are rolling out old favorites and new ones like pecan bombs, cookie dough bites, caramel dipped marshmallows and caramel apple nachos.
“For the first six months it was just me and mom doing everything and it was becoming a lot,” Childers said.
They brought on a handful of help and that number has since doubled in the shop with candy making and retail sales.
To re-introduce the brand and connect with customers, they invested in a candy trailer to take to festivals and markets.
Adorned with the Hoover’s logo and a timeline showing the shop’s history of previous owners, the candy trailer has allowed the brand to reach a new and larger area.
The pair recently completed 10 days of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival – their biggest and lon- gest event to date. Childers said they sold about 100 caramel apples each day in Parke County and once visitors sampled the cinnamon logs, those also sold well.
The two have taken another new approach to reaching customers. Instead of solely relying on people to come to the retail shop, they have partnered with other businesses to sell the homemade favorites.
Hoover’s products are available at Johnny Junxions in Judah, Lincoln Avenue Pharmacy in Bedford, Springville Grocery and Deli and Premier Co-op in Greene County.
Another popular item are their iced cold brew coffees from Fanny New Coffee Co.
As they navigate the fast growth of the business, their goal is to stay true to what customers love and want and be realistic about what they can do while still working their “other job” as real estate agents at Hawkins & Root Real Estate.
How they started
Childers said she felt a strong pull to bring Hoover’s Candy back after many conversations and lots of prayer.
Amanda said “When I thought about it, I thought, ‘Is this God leading us to do this?’ As crazy as things were with COVID, to bring something back that is so sentimental to our town it was really heartwarming,” Childers said.
Stories from customers telling of grown men crying when they bit into a cinnamon log because it reminded them of going to Hoover’s with their late grandparents has made it all worthwhile.
“And you do hear those stories,” added Purcell.
Hoover’s Candy is preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, a popular time for gift boxes and candy platters for Christmas parties and family get-togethers.
Christmas Around the Square, Bedford Christmas Parade
Candy lovers can find Hoover’s Candy trailer Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown Bedford, parade begins at 6 p.m.
On Nov. 26, as a Small Business Saturday promotion, the first 20 customers in the store will get a free caramel apple with purchase.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 17, get your photo taken with the Grinch at Hoover’s Candy Shop, 35 Patton Heights. The store is located at 35 Patton Heights, in the Judah area right off Sieboldt Quarry Road, close to State Road 37 between Bedford and Bloomington.
The store also has ornaments for sale and $5 from the sale of Hoover’s T-shirts benefit Agape Kids House, an emergency shelter for children when a foster placement is not available.
Store hours
Normal store hours; open Thursday-Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Holiday hours: Nov. 21-22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 19-22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dec. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 29-30, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.