The famous chain of candy stores, Lammes Candies based in Texas, United States of America is closing down after 141 years in operation.
It announced on its website that it is closing stores in all locations, citing what it described as unprecedented economic pressures and current market conditions”
This historic chain of Texas candy stores has a flagship location in Austin among its seven locations, but customers who are used to its premium candies and peculiar services may have to look elsewere going forward.
Customers’ interest is in consideration in this move as the company said it would be an orderly wind-down of operations, “including fulfilling remaining orders and supporting employees through the transition process.”
Lammes is Austin’s oldest continuously run family business, according to KVUE’s media partners at the Austin-American Statesman.
It adds that the business began in 1878 after William Wirt Lamme arrived in Austin from St. Louis in and established the Red Front Candy Factory at 721 Congress Ave. After losing the store in a poker game, his son, David Turner Lamme, repurchased it in 1885 for $800.
The store was renamed Lammes and moved to 919 Congress Ave. Lammes later opened locations in Twin Oaks, on The Drag at 2262 Guadalupe, and at the Delwood Shopping Center in 1951. Its current flagship store at 5330 Airport Blvd. opened in December 1956.
Lammes Candies has opened and closed other suburban locations in recent years, including at Barton Creek Square Mall, Anderson Lane and Lakeline.
The store started out by selling ice cream and gem, a sherbet-like dessert made with frozen fruit and whole milk. It became known for its chewy pecan pralines that were introduced in 1892 using pecans from trees along the Colorado River.
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Another popular item at Lammes Candies is its Longhorns, similar to what is commonly known in the candy world as a turtle. The Longhorns have pecans with caramel and chocolate.
The lamb logo was the first neon sign in Austin, and Lammes also had the first soda fountain in Texas, according to the company.
“It was not made lightly,” the storefront sign said. “Lammes Candies has always been more than a business, it has been a family legacy, and a part of so many lives and celebrations.”
Additional Reporting: KVUE, Today
