For nearly a century, Schmidt’s Candy has been a sweet cornerstone in Woodhaven, delighting generations of families with nostalgic treats and timeless charm.
Since opening in 1925, the candy shop at 94-15 Jamaica Ave. has witnessed decades of memories, with parents and grandparents bringing their children in to experience the same joy they once felt as kids. As Valentine’s Day approaches, the shop continues to spread love and sweetness, staying true to its roots. Much of the shop is the same as when Margie Schmidt’s grandparents first opened the doors to the neighborhood, save for a new ceiling, which was replaced after a small fire at the shop in the 1980s.
The store has been passed down through the Schmidt family, from Margie’s grandfather to her father, who ran the business before she took it over.
It was originally an ice cream parlor and candy store, but changing trends in the popularity of ice cream parlors made the family focus on the chocolatier aspect. When customers visit the store, they can still see the areas of the floor where the stools initially stood when pointed out, as well as where the counter once was. A section of stained glass remains, as does the inlaid wood. A glass case at the front of the store displays newspaper clippings, original metal molds for chocolate with intricate designs no longer in use, and a special Woodhaven version of Monopoly from 1978, which shows “Schmidt’s Confectionary” as one of the properties on the board game.
The shop has remained a special portal to go back in time on the now busy street with loud cars and subway trains whizzing by. It’s a drastic change on a street that once had trolley tracks out front. Schmidt explained that they have lots of regulars who come in all the time, but the holiday seasons, like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and, of course, Valentine’s Day, make the time fly by since they are so busy.
“[Valentine’s Day] is our biggest single day,” said Florence Rahner, who works with Schmidt at the shop. “Christmas is stretched a little more, and Easter is a lot of molds. Margie would have to tell you which is more strenuous for her, making the molds or boxing the chocolate.”
At the moment, the shop is filled with handmade chocolate hearts, chocolate teddy bears, and red and white decorations. There are lots of gift-wrapped chocolate boxes covered in pink and red paper and big red heart chocolate boxes with handmade chocolate inside. There are also chocolate kittens, frogs, and a Scotty dog, which Schmidt and Rahner, a childhood friend who’s worked with her at the shop for the past 8 years, made from plastic and metal molds. They even have a unique Valentine’s treat, a box made of chocolate with chocolates inside, a unique idea that’s definitely a crowd favorite.
“Valentine’s Day is mostly boxed chocolates,” said Rahner. “Back in the old days, customers would want the bunny with the blue eyes. We have this little box, which is a box made of chocolate and filled with chocolate, something that appeals to me for sure.”
With so many unique Valentine’s chocolates and rows of handmade chocolate filled with homemade creams, and fruits like apricot, pineapple, and cherries, it can be difficult not to pick up a little bit of everything to bring home. The visit to the shop itself might be a romantic idea for couples who love nostalgia and want to buy something sweet. However, Schmidt laments that some young people don’t like the original floor or the showcasing in which the chocolates are displayed. Amongst other nostalgic items, they have the original scale from when the shop opened, though they had to place it high up on display so that health inspectors wouldn’t think they were still using it.
“We used to have it down here so you’d see it better,” said Rahner.
The prices at the shop have a range for all budgets- there are chocolate heart-shaped lollipops, a pretty box with a mix of cookies and chocolates, and of course, there are fancier items, which Schmidt even puts a sign in front of the display, reading “fancy,” to let customers know. Even their chocolate heart boxes range from simple to fancier, though Schmidt doesn’t push the item on customers. With rising prices and inflation, the cost of a special box and wrapping paper could get costly, so they even help customers by suggesting they don’t really need a fancy box for the chocolates if they don’t want it.
“The economy is getting hard; some people want to spend, but we do very few of the really fancy boxes,” said Rahner.
“Which is a compliment to us,” Schmidt added. ‘“That they say I don’t want the box, I want your candy.”
Schmidt’s Candy is located at 79-16 Jamaica Ave, Woodhaven, NY, and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For online orders, visit their website at schmidtscandy.com.
