SF Bay Area Candy Institution Closes after 74 Years

Annabelle's has been in the bay area for 74 years but now they've announced their candy facility will close Sept. 27.Photo byphoto by www.chocolatebythebay.com website

The 74-year-old Hayward-based candy factory Annabelle's Candy Co. will let go of their employees and will close the facility on September 27. The facility originated in San Francisco and then moved to Hayward. Their candy will still be made, but in other Promise Confections facilities which owns the brand.

Their popular candies today are Rocky Road chocolate bars, Abba-Zaba's taffy and Big Hunks. U-No and Look bars are also made by the company, with a few changes in flavors over the years.

The Story Is Another Family Tale:

Many long-time family companies have deep roots in the history of California. In 1950, Annabelle's was created in San Francisco and in 1965, they moved to Hayward. The company was started by Russian immigrant Sam Altshuler, who proudly named the company after his daughter Annabelle.

The company recently became famous for getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. They made the largest taffy candy, weighing in at 237.68 kg (524 lb), on April 15, 2016 in honor of their 65^th anniversary.

Their Classic Candy:

The candy that put them on the map is the Rocky Road chocolate candy bar. The website explains that the “Rocky Road is handmade with chewy marshmallow, coated with milk chocolate, and sprinkled with roasted cashew nuts.” Over the years, they have added different flavors with the Sea Salt and S'Mores candy bars to go along with the original and the mint-flavored chocolate bar.

The founder, Sam Altshuler, passed away in 1971. He was voted into the National Candy Hall of Fame in 2011. His beloved daughter Annabelle, whom the company is named for, took over. She passed away in 2014.