Longtime candy shop offers something for every sweet tooth
LAKE OZARK, MO. – It isn’t summer for many people until they hit the Lake of the Ozarks. For those who take the journey, a stop by Grandma’s Candy Kitchen is a must.
Grandma’s Candy Kitchen has been located along the Bagnell Dam Strip at Lake Ozark, Mo., since 1964, offering customers the cure for their sweet tooth. Initially known as Sweets, Grandma’s specializes in homemade fudge and chocolate creations, saltwater taffy, and old-fashioned bulk candy. Mike Page bought the business in 1992, and it became Grandma’s Candy Kitchen. Jason Van Houten took over in 2023 and plans to continue the sweet tradition for many years.
Jenny White has been at Grandma’s for 35 years and worked with the original grandma, Grandma Bernice, who taught Jenny the secrets to Grandma’s sweet delights. Jenny is now the “grandma” of the shop.
“Thankfully, she taught us the tricks of the trade,” Jenny said of Grandma Bernice. “I have cooked all my life, from the time I could stand on a stool, but I didn’t do candy.”
Customers can currently find 24 flavors of fudge, including chocolate peanut butter, mint chocolate swirl, cookie dough, and Ozark Turtle, as well as raisin clusters made in dark, milk, or white chocolate; chocolate peanut butter squares; chocolate-covered caramels; turtles and much more.
“We add a lot more as summer rolls around because customers expect certain flavors when they come in,” Jenny said. “On the first of June, we will add our wedding cake fudge and have it all month, and we only do that in June.”
Other seasonable fudge flavors include watermelon in July and pumpkin fudge in the fall. Chocolate-covered strawberries are available daily in the summer.
Homemade treats are the rule of thumb for most grandmas, and the same holds for Grandma’s Candy Kitchen.
“We make about 95 percent of our chocolates,” Jenny said. “I change things up from the basic recipes from the book.”
“She has her secrets,” Jason said with a laugh.
There is no skimping on ingredients or cutting corners at Grandma’s. “What sets us apart from other stores is that we aren’t afraid to use products in our fudge or chocolate,” Jenny said.
Grandma’s Candy Kitchen is estimated to go through at least 9 tons of chocolate and fudge annually.
“We sell 3,000 to 3,500 pounds of taffy per month,” Jenny added. “We’re a little store, but we do a heck of a business. People go nuts over the taffy. We have had customers lined up around both sides of the store, out the door and down the sidewalk, just waiting to get our candy.”
Jason, a former golf pro turned candy entrepreneur, recently attended a candy show and brought back new flavors and recipes.
“I’m very excited to try them,” Jenny said. “I like making new stuff because it’s fun, and the customers get a kick out of it. We get a kick out of people’s reactions when they come in, especially when you carry a fresh pan out to be cut or a tray of chocolate. They are all going, ‘Oh, what’s that? Can we have some of that?’”
A much-requested item will soon appear at Grandma’s — sugar-free fudge.
Grandma’s has a wide following, bringing generations of candy connoisseurs to the iconic strip.
“We have a lot of repeat customers, which is amazing,” Jenny said. “We have people who will stop here on their way to Branson, then stop on the way back, which is a huge plus for us that we can compete with the fudge shops there. I always say anyone can get a customer for the first time, but when you get that repeat customer, it shows you have a good shop and a good product. People also love coming in and seeing familiar faces. They say they have been coming here since they were kids, and now they bring their kids and grandkids. That’s the kind of store we are.
It takes a crew to blend things and make it all come together at Grandma’s Kitchen.
“My granddaughter (Sara Cable) helps out with that, as do the others. It’s a team effort, and it takes each of those amazing kids to keep this store running,” Jenny said. “Neither Jason, Sara, nor I can do it by ourselves; it’s all teamwork.”
“We have really good people who work there and treat people like they are at Disneyland,” Jason said. “The girls are all really nice, and everyone likes to come in and see Grandma.”
Being surrounded by decant fudge and creamy chocolate may sound like a dream job for many, but Jenny said she’s not a big candy eater.
“I’ve been here so long I’m used to it,” Jenny said. “I always say the teenagers have my share, and the bosses share because they love candy. I don’t eat much candy, but I like to cook, so that’s good because I do lots of it.”
While Jason and Jenny might not overindulge in items created at Grandma’s, they still have their favorites.
“I like it when Grandma or Sara make a peanut butter square,” Jason said. “I’m known to cut off a square for myself.”
“I’m like Jason, and when the peanut butter squares are first made. I also really like the dark chocolate sea salt fudge,” Jenny said.
Grandma’s Candy Kitchen is closed each January and most of February, but special orders can be made year-round. The shop’s website (grannyscandy.com) also has some offerings during the closure.
“Online has grown, and at Christmas, we sent candy not only all over the United States but to Europe, Australia and Canada,” Jason said.
What’s the secret ingredient at Grandma’s?
“My former boss would say our fudge is made with love, and we have one thing people don’t think about using, and I’m not going to tell you what that is,” Jenny said with a laugh.
