DEERFIELD — Even at 70 years old, life is as sweet as ever at Richardson's Candy Kitchen.
With a giant pin adorning her apron and carrying countless chocolates, one-cent candies and, of course, Dixies that have been featured on the Food Network, owner Cathy Williams and her staff are celebrating 70 years of candy making as the family-owned business continues to thrive.
Williams has been with the business since her parents, Barbara and Gordon Woodward, took over the store in 1983 and has seen the rise of online shopping, a major building expansion, a pandemic and countless new and returning customers visit the store at 500 Greenfield Road at Routes 5 and 10.
“There are a lot of fun stories shared,” Williams said of her customers, both locals and those who travel to the area for the holidays. “It's really fun.”
The story of Richardson's Candy Kitchen begins in the spring of 1954. Henry and Viola Richards, with 25 years of candy-making experience, announced their opening in the April 3, 1954, Greenfield Recorder and touted “the best candy” during an open house ceremony. According to the Recorder's April 6, 1954 issue, about 4,000 people attended the event.
“We say 'Thank you' to the hundreds of people who visited our new Candy Kitchen last Sunday and to the many who sent flowers, well-wishes and other well wishes,” the Richards wrote in the April 7, 1954 issue of the Recorder.
The Richards family ran the shop until 1973, when Charles and Peggy Richardson purchased it and wrote in the Recorder on August 29, 1974, “We have remained faithful to Richard's original recipes. It means a lot to us that we have been able to please people for 20 years.” The Richardsons sold the shop to the Woodward family in 1983, and it has been run by the Williams family ever since.
“We had no experience with candy or chocolate in our family,” says Williams, who took over the store in 2004. “The timing was just right.”
Since Williams' family took over the business, the chocolate-making process has become more efficient and the store has expanded two buildings, but she says the shop remains much the same as it was 70 years ago: Richardson's still uses the original recipes from the 1950s, its busy seasons around Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day remain the same, and the store is still family-run.
“Probably the biggest change is selling online,” Williams said, adding that Gordon Woodward was “very forward-thinking” in acquiring the domain name Richardsonscandy.com.
Online sales soared after Richardson's Candy Kitchen landed in the Food Network spotlight in 2010. Chef and Food Network personality Alexandra Guarnaschelli stopped by the store while traveling in the area, where staff encouraged her to try Dixies (caramel-covered nuts dipped in chocolate).
“We got hundreds of orders overnight. It was amazing,” Williams said of the response to being featured on Guarnaschelli's show, “The Best Thing I've Ever Ate.” The Richardson's Candy Kitchen show can be viewed online at bit.ly/3ycaAhC.
After 70 years in business, Williams said there are calls for the chain to expand to other locations, but he doesn't see much changing for the store in the future.
“We're happy here and it keeps us busy,” Williams said. “We plan to keep going.”
For more information about Richardson's Candy Kitchen, visit their website or visit the store at 500 Greenfield Road in Deerfield. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:30am to 4:30pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.
