Johnson Candy Company in Tacoma

When I drove to the candy store I’d not been at for many years, I felt right at home: Johnson Candy in Tacoma, Washington still sat where I remembered it. I snapped a few photos at 924 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, looked around the Hilltop Neighborhood then walked through the door.

To die for! My eyes grew enormous as I scanned the scrumptious offerings, the retail space twice as big as I remembered but still small, every corner and shelf spilling out luscious dark, light and sugar-free chocolate, caramel, taffy, turtles, fudge, boxed chocolates, candy-making supplies and more. And, oh, the boxes of Valentine candy, a size for everyone. The smell of chocolate intoxicated me; I'm a heavy-duty chocolate lover.

The first person to greet me was Marieva Riche, an employee of over 19 years – what a great employee, too. She knew her stuff. Before long she was talking with some longshoremen who came in to buy dark chocolates. “They buy dark chocolate because it’s good for your health,” Riche grinned as she told me.

Riche pointed out a heart-shaped box of Valentine Candy – eight pounds – that's their largest box. It retails for $147.50. She’s very careful not to tell stories of others, but she did tell me one man bought three of these large boxes this year. Other regulars bring in surprises to package in the box of chocolates for their loved ones, like diamond rings.

The big box takes me back on memory lane to when my husband bought me a five-pound box of chocolates our first Valentine’s Day. Even if he’d tried to buy three, which I know he wouldn’t, he had to save a long time to buy one box, probably the biggest in our small town. I still remember he only ate one piece.

Riche introduced me to shop owners, Ron and Bee Johnson, though reluctant at first. She said it's their busiest time, and I got the impression she takes care of her boss. (Ron Johnson is pictured here in the store with his Valentine candy.) Ron was kind enough to take a break from the store's busiest season, Valentine’s Day, and give me some background on the store. His store was featured in Candy Industry Magazine in 1991 and more recently in the The News Tribune on May 11, 2000: an article by Art Popham, one of my favorite Tribune columnists.

Go To Page: 1 2 3