Going the more traditional route of giving candy this Valentine’s Day? Or just looking for a sweet treat for yourself? Stop in the Colonial Candy Shoppe in Clintonville and explore all of their delicious candy offerings. Their signature line of chocolates is Ben Heggy’s. These are handcrafted in downtown Canton, Ohio. Ben Heggy started making chocolates in 1923 and over the years the company has remained a family business dedicated to making the best handwrapped chocolates. Perfect for gifting! Colonial Candy Shoppe allows you to select each candy you would like to put into a gift box so you get the perfect mix.
The Colonial Candy Shoppe first opened in 1966 in Olentangy Village. The current owners, the Goodrich family, are the third family to run the shop and have been operating it since December, 1983. Melissa Goodrich became the owner in 1999. She says her “parents had no prior retail or candy experience,” but they dove right in during the busiest time of the year. They moved the shop to its current location at 3519 North High Street in January 2001. Goodrich’s father grew up on Orchard Lane which is very close to the shop, and her mother’s family moved to the same street when she was 14 years old. Each of them had their first jobs on the same block, so the new location has a bit of sentimental history as well.
Colonial Candy Shoppe is the kind of neighborhood candy store all of the kids love to stop in on their way home from school. Because they are a small, independent shop, they have the flexibility to do very specialized orders and small quantities. They recently worked with a school group who needed chocolate Earth balls for a regional science competition. They also work with many couples getting married to provide fun wedding favors and others looking for fun party favors. If you are looking for certain colors of M&M’s to customize your party, they also carry those.
In addition to running the shop, Melissa Goodrich is very involved in the community of Clintonville. She was honored in February 2007 as a Clintonville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Businessperson of the year. She helped found and serves on the board for the Clintonville Farmer’s Market. The market opens in May and runs through October. It sets up shop on the sidewalks in front of her store. She also had a hand in founding the site ShopClintonville.com, a merchant advertising cooperative for the shops of Clintonville.
If you’d like to go, Colonial Candy Shoppe is located at 3519 North High St., Columbus, OH 43214
614.267.5095