Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – A beloved confectionary shop that has been making candies and sweet treats for more than a century re-opened in a new and larger location last week in Bedford.
Hoover’s Candy is ready to fill Christmas candy orders from its new shop at 1815 28th St.
Caramels, cinnamon logs, pecan bombs, caramel-dipped apples and dozens of fine chocolates and baggable candies fill the glass display cases. The shop also has a drive-thru window and serves coffees, lattes, apple cider and other drinks.
Owners Jenny Purcell and Amanda Childers said the shop had outgrown its previous space. The mother-daughter duo worked on getting the building ready for a year before making the move.
Purcell and Childers became owners of Hoover’s in 2021. They operated the shop from a storefront in Amanda’s basement in Judah and also launched a Hoover’s food truck, selling homemade treats and coffee drinks at fairs and festivals.
As the business grew, they remodeled the basement twice to get more space.
Eventually, Purcell said, they were faced with either moving to a larger location or selling the business. Fortunately, the two work in real estate and after finding a space on the south end of Bedford, made plans to re-locate the shop.
The new shop is triple the size of the previous shop. Family and friends helped out with the renovation, which included converting an attached garage into an office that Childers and Purcell will use as a real estate office.
The kitchen is larger and there is room for seating. The drive-thru is an added feature.
“We’re really excited to offer our coffees,” Purcell said.
The pair worked with Steve Jones at Johnny Junxions on purchasing the right equipment and the best varieties of coffee. Customers can come to the window or download the Hoover’s app to place their orders.
A Bedford tradition
Honoring the history of Hoover’s is important to the owners. Hoover’s first opened in 1908 on J Street in Bedford. A timeline on the wall traces the shop’s beginnings, through ownership and location changes.
Childers said they have met many customers who have memories of visiting Hoover’s 50 and 60 years ago.
“Hoover’s was such a relic that the community loved,” Childers said. “For us, to bring it back to town is piggybacking on those same sentiments.”
As a small business, businesses like Hoover’s can’t exist without local support.
“We’ve invested so much financially and physically in this and it’s a risk because you need the community’s support,” Childers said. “Seeing the crowd today and having the mayor here for the ribbon cutting, gave me peace that we’re going to be OK.”
Hours, Grinch Day
Hoover’s is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Grinch Day with a special guest is Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Giveaways will be offered every hour from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.