Minnesota's Largest Candy Store

Last updated
Minnesota's Largest Candy Store
FormerlyJim's Apple Farm
Company type Private
Founded 1960s [1]
FounderHerbert R. "Hippy" Wagner [2]
Headquarters Jordan, MN,
United States of America
Number of locations
1
ProductsCandy, baked goods, soda
OwnerRobert Wagner
Number of employees
150 [3]
Website https://minnesotaslargestcandystore.business.site/

Minnesota's Largest Candy Store is a family-owned candy store located along U.S. Route 169 in Jordan, Minnesota. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] The business is known for its distinctive yellow building, extensive candy selection, pop-culture-themed decor, and puzzle collection. [9] [10] [11] The store closes during the winter months and is cash-only. [12]

Contents

History

The store has its roots in Jim's Apple Farm, another Wagner family business, though the land was sold into the Wagner family in 1900. [13] [14] [15] [16] At first, the business focused on selling apples, as the University of Minnesota had invested a great deal in Minnesota's apple industry. [17] [18] [19] [20] The business was successful, but remained relatively small, as travelers would buy apples and pie, and then continue traveling. [4]

At a certain point, Robert Wagner decided to begin selling candy as well, mostly focusing on old-fashioned American candies, such as salt-water taffy. [16] This also allowed the business to open earlier and close later in the season. While Robert did not intend the candy to become permanent, his daughter, Christine, pushed him to keep it available. Unlike apples, candy sales grew exponentially. [16]

In the mid-2000s, a series of hailstorms devastated three consecutive years' worth of crops. [16] Facing this financial burden, the family decided to rely more on candy sales. [16] The gamble was successful, and the family began investing more heavily in candy, eventually building the yellow barn on the site. [4] The building has been expanded numerous times, most recently to include a planetarium-like dome on its north end. [11]

In 2019, a car crashed into the side of the candy store, causing more than $50,000 in losses. Even so, the store did not close and the hole in the building was repaired by the time the store opened for business. [21]

Later in 2019, following a string of cash register robberies in Scott County, the candy store placed a 16-ton Abbot tank in its parking lot as a tongue-in-cheek deterrent. [22]

The store initially closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but re-opened as an essential business on May 8, 2020. [23] [24] [25] During this time, it provided free advertising for local restaurants seeking to advertise take-out services. [26]

Controversies

The store has several billboards on its property, which it uses to attract motorists' attention and advertise its products. [27] They have caused controversy in the past. [28]

Black Lives Matter

In October 2015, the store posted a message on a billboard, which read "Join The Movement #caramelapplesmatter." [29] [30] Robert Wagner, the owner of the store, apologized for the message and called it "a mistake." [30]

Five years later, in July 2020, an employee with access to the company Facebook page replied to a message stemming from the original #caramelapplesmatter billboard by insulting the sender and by saying "all lives matter." The store first believed it had been hacked, but then revealed that a longtime employee had sent the messages; the employee was fired. [31] [32] The store issued an apology, saying "The...messages by no means reflect the views of the owners or the Jim’s Apple Farm family as a whole" and "[w]e sincerely apologize that this event occurred and are in the process of determining action going forward." [31] [33]

Climate Change

During an April snowstorm in 2018, the store posted a billboard that read "In Only Two Years Trump Fixed Global Warming." [28] [34] While some passing motorists interpreted this as support for Donald Trump, Wagner said the message was intended to "convince [motorists] to stop." [11] Even so, Wagner has donated at least $1,000 to Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign. [35]

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References

  1. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2019-05-23). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store grows out of family apple stand". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  2. ↑ Smith, Kelly (2016-12-02). "Herbert "Hippy" Wagner, idea man, apple grower and piemaker, dies at 91". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  3. ↑ Sawyer, Liz. "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store sends up the bat signal for customers". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  4. 1 2 3 Krohn, Tim (2016-11-30). "Jim's Apple Farm founder a generous entrepreneur". Mankato Free Press. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  5. ↑ "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  6. ↑ "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, Audrey (May 9, 2023). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store reopens for 2023 season". Axios .
  8. ↑ Strickler, Jeff (May 28, 2015). "Day trip: Jordan is much more than you see from the highway". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  9. ↑ "MN's Largest Candy Store re-opens with super ceiling". kare11.com. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  10. ↑ Blood, Rachel (2021-06-24). "MN's Largest Candy Store more than just sweets — it's home to vast puzzle collection, too". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  11. 1 2 3 Sawyer, Liz. "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store sends up the bat signal for customers". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  12. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2019-12-25). "What goes on at Minnesota's Largest Candy Store in the winter?". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  13. ↑ "Property Report Card". February 22, 2024.
  14. ↑ Jonas, Trent (2022-10-27). "Spanning Several Buildings, The State's Largest Candy Store Is Hiding In This Tiny Minnesota Town". OnlyInYourState®. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  15. ↑ "Videos". FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Strasburg, Michael (2019-05-23). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store grows out of family apple stand". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  17. ↑ Meyer, Mary H. (October 1, 2020). "100 years of University of Minnesota apple breeding". The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  18. ↑ Tepe, Emily (October 21, 2019). "Historic apples of Minnesota: Looking back to move forward". Minnesota Fruit Research. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  19. ↑ Luby, James; Fennell, Anne (February 2006). "Fruit Breeding for the Northern Great Plains at the University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University" (PDF). HortScience. 41 (1): 25–26 – via ResearchGate.
  20. ↑ "How about them apples? U of M talks about its apple breeding program in Minnesota". Alexandria Echo Press. 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  21. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2019-08-13). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store maintains sense of humor in wake of crash". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  22. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2019-11-18). "After 'Mr. Grinch' steals cash registers, Minnesota's Largest Candy Store calls in the artillery". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  23. ↑ "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store plans to reopen May 8". FOX 9. 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  24. ↑ "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store plans weekend opening with state's OK". kare11.com. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  25. ↑ "Obituary for Herbert R. (Hippy) Wagner". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  26. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2020-04-28). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store uses signs to boost local restaurants". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  27. ↑ "'There Is A Cop Hiding Behind This Sign': The Story Behind A Popular Scott County Billboard - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  28. 1 2 Nelson, Joe (2018-04-04). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store is also highway entertainment". Bring Me The News. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  29. ↑ Staff, Munchies (2015-10-07). "A Candy Store Tried to Use the 'Black Lives Matter' Campaign to Sell Caramel Apples". Vice. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  30. 1 2 "Jordan Candy Store's Sign Causes Social Media Uproar - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  31. 1 2 Nelson, Joe (2020-07-24). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store fires worker over offensive messages". Bring Me The News. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  32. ↑ "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store fires employee after 'disgusting' social media messages". kare11.com. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  33. ↑ Strasburg, Michael (2020-07-24). "Minnesota's Largest Candy Store fires employee after vulgar messages go viral". SWNewsMedia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  34. ↑ "MN's Largest Candy Store Dips Into Political Waters With Sign (Again) - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  35. ↑ "Browse Individual contributions". FEC.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-23.

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