Stafford's Chocolates owner buys Reimer's candy stores
A little red gingerbread house nestled in the foothills of Three Rivers offering unique chocolates and tasty ice cream was the start of Reimer’s more than 60 years ago.
It flourished, and the taste of the chocolate and variety of the store spoke for itself as people across the world stopped ahead of Sequoia National Park.
In more recent years the iconic Three Rivers candy shop has expanded with two more locations. One in Avila Beach that opened in 2008 across from the Pacific Ocean and another in Oakhurst in 2013, ahead of Yosemite National Park. Both offer freshly made ice cream, chocolate and hard-to-find treats. The sweet smell of waffle cones drifts into the nearby shops from both locations, enticing crowds to stop by and taste the goodness.
'Source of inspiration'
Lynn and Mary Anne Bretz, the second family to own Reimer’s Candies & Gifts, were ready to retire. But they knew they couldn't just let the shop go. So, they went looking for someone who could carry on the legacy that began in 1960s.
It so happens, the Taylor family was happy to take over. As of Friday, Dec 1, Reimer's is under new ownership.
The Taylor family owns Stafford’s chocolates, which is based in Porterville. The candy family also co-own the Swedish Candy Factory in Solvang and Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates in San Luis Obispo.
“We are excited to share the latest news of the Taylor Family enterprise with our most recent acquisition of Reimer’s Candies & Gifts”, said new owner Rob Taylor. “It’s been a long road getting to where we are today, since our first Taylor Family acquisition in 2011 of Stafford’s Chocolates, but well worth the effort and investment."
Taylor said they won't lose focus on what has made Reimer's a success.
“Our wholesale and retail customers continue to be our source of inspiration,” the chef said.
Chef Ben Taylor insists on using the finest fair-trade organic ingredients when creating new and delicious treats.
Today, Reimer’s Candies and Gifts is best known for their holiday traditional German bread loaves, Stollen, their ice cream, and locally grown wild blackberries, peaches, nuts and fresh cream.
Reimer's has won various "Best of" contests for both candy and ice cream, including in 2014 when it won best in both categories.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Stafford's Chocolates owner buys Reimer's candy stores
