Saying ‘I love you’ with local chocolates

Inside the storefront of Johnson Candy Company, there are hundreds of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. 

Gift-wrapped boxes are stacked up on a table behind display cases. Open boxes show off sweet concoctions, propped up on shelves or set out below hanging red and pink decorations. Cellophane-wrapped goodies sit on top of glass windows displaying squares of chocolate deliciousness. 

Every few minutes, a bell rings as another customer enters in search of chocolate-covered cherries or rum truffles.

In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, this Tacoma candy shop is busy with customers buying gifts for the ones they love. The workers here are prepared — they’ve been getting ready for Valentine’s Day since Christmas.

“ It’s a pretty short turnaround between Christmas and Valentine’s Day,” said Bill Johnson, the candy maker, production manager and third generation to run this family business.

Johnson Candy Company sits on a corner in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. The company was started in 1925 by Bill Johnson’s grandfather. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB)

Johnson Candy Company has been helping Tacomans say “I love you” for 100 years this year, and you can quote them on that. Johnson’s grandfather started the company selling homemade candies at a lunch counter a few blocks down from the company’s current location. He bought a handful of candy recipes to start the business, and pre-owned machines like the 1914 copper fire mixer that Johnson still uses to this day to make products.

Johnson’s dad became the candy maker, and eventually, he taught Johnson. He still calls his dad every day.

“ My dad did kind of everything, my dad is the one that taught me to make candy,” Johnson said. 

Now, the business is in the hands of Johnson, who never thought he would take over the business. But he moved back from Seattle to Tacoma when his parents got older to help out. 

“Small businesses kind of make the communities what they are, and it’s nice to be kind of a part of that,” Johnson said. 

Bill Johnson stands in the upstairs room where he makes candy. The copper fire mixer to his left is the same one his grandfather used. (Credit: Lauren Gallup / NWPB)

In the storefront, it’s Mallory McNully’s first Valentine’s Day working for the company. She said she’s been surprised at how busy this holiday has been. 

While Christmas is the company’s busiest season, McNully said a lot of people order online for those gifts, whereas people come into the store for Valentine’s Day.

“We have a lot more foot traffic, actually, in the store with people picking out gifts for their loved ones,” McNully said as she wrapped up gifts behind the counter. Meanwhile, a handful of customers perused display cases. 

The company also does something special for its customers. If people bring back the heart-shaped boxes they purchased from the store, they’ll repack them with custom goodies. 

“A lot of people have been coming for a long time — like 30-plus years — people have been coming in with the same heart box to get filled,” McNully said, smiling. “It is really sweet.”

This year, they’ve already sold over 700 heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and that number doesn’t include the ones customers bring in to be refilled. 

Two days before the holiday, one regular customer was there buying some open-faced caramels for her husband.

“I’ve been buying it for him for Valentine’s Day for years,” she said as she paid. McNully handed her the freshly-wrapped gift to give to her valentine.