McKeesport Candy Co. among locations chosen to wholesale Clark candy bars
McKeesport Candy Co. hit the Clark Bar lottery.
Only a select number of businesses were chosen by Boyer Candy Co. for distribution of the sweet piece of Pittsburgh history.
Jon H. Prince, owner of McKeesport Candy Co. and candyfavorites.com, said customers won’t be able to buy the bar there, as it is serving as a wholesaler, but it will be for sale at select retailers, which Prince said he couldn’t disclose. The candy bars are not available online as of yet or outside of Pennsylvania, Prince said.
“I love selling candy but I also love the history behind the candy,” Prince said. “A brand that was a Pittsburgh tradition for over 100 years is home. This will be talked about nationwide. I expect they will sell out rather quickly.”
Other area locations that will distribute Clark Bars include Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, Katie’s Kandy locations in Downtown Pittsburgh and S&S Candy & Cigar on the South Side, according to Andrew Gause, who handles marketing and sales for Boyer.
Prince said the candy bar’s resurgence is about more than crispy peanut butter and spun taffy core, coated in milk chocolate. There’s a a historical perspective, Prince said. His grandfather Ernest Prince sold candy out of his car, as an independent wholesaler, befpre he started the business in 1927. He was one of the first in the U.S. to sell the Clark Bar, Prince said.
“It is great to be a part of the relaunch of a product that my grandfather was a part of at the original launch,” he said.
Prince said Valentine’s Day is a perfect choice for the relaunch because of the candy bar’s iconic red wrapper.
“There is no better place to relaunch it than where it started,” Prince said.
Boyer purchased the rights to make and sell Clark Bars in September 2018 after the most recent manufacturer, Necco (the New England Confectionery Co.), went into bankruptcy.
It took Boyer more time than it had anticipated to move the equipment to its headquarters, a converted brewery in Altoona, as described in a Tribune-Review story this week.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.