The Taste of Easter

Riley’s Candy Company opened in Spokane in 1913. Its owner, Terrence J. Riley was dedicated to creating the best candy in America. Today, the store is called Spokandy, but it has maintained Riley’s commitment to quality under current owner Todd Davis’s stewardship.

Davis bought the store more than 30 years ago, as a courageous 19-years-old.

“As a little kid, I was fascinated with the concept of business,” Davis says. “In 1991, the people I bought it from said, ‘You need a job and we want to sell the business to the right person. If you work here for a year and we like what we see, we’ll sell it to you.’”

Even as a teenager, Davis made it clear he had a passion for creating fine candy, and he’s been doing it ever since.

Like Riley, Davis uses only the finest ingredients to make his candy creations. No additives, no waxes. And he has continued another or Riley’s historic tradition—the

Murphy Ball. The creamy, whipped vanilla center is hand-dipped in rich milk chocolate and rolled in fresh toasted coconut.

Holidays scattered across the calendar help keep Spokandy in business. They start planning for Easter season in January. And they start shipping freshly made Easter treats the day after Valentine’s Day.

Spokandy’s most popular Easter gift may be their personalized milk chocolate Easter Eggs. Nearly identical to the eggs Riley sold a century ago, they come filled with five different flavored crèmes-- fudge, fudge walnut, whipped cream, peanut butter and coconut.

“They each come in a decorative box with a window,” Davis explains. “And we can add the personalization to the eggs while our customers wait. It’s always fun to see your name in chocolate.”

If you’re hoping to fill a basket, add a few of Spokandy’s solid chocolate Easter Bunnies in white, milk or dark chocolate. “They are molded bunnies,” Davis says, “from 2 ounces in size to three pounds.” Top off your basket with a fist full of their Easter Egg chocolate suckers.

If your Easter friends are more mature in their preferences, Spokandy has more than 50 different mouth-watering chocolate truffles sure to please candy connoisseurs.

Davis and his team of 24 candy artisans at 1412 W. Third Avenue are up for the challenge, and that’s a smart business decision.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), about 80% of all Americans celebrate Easter. They spent almost $21 billion on the holiday in 2022, and sales are on the rise in 2023.

“Consumers are eager to return to their pre-pandemic holiday traditions,” according to NRF President Matthew Shay, “particularly as it relates to the purchasing of food and gifts for in-person celebrations.” And most American shoppers spend an average of $53.61 on Easter food.

Like most retail businesses, Spokandy was in danger when Covid-19 hit. But Spokane consumers stepped up to keep Todd Davis in business. “We’re so thankful that our community really supported us during Covid,” Davis says. “We are Spokane’s original candy company, so it’s about the community and keeping those traditions alive.”

Easter Favorites, Plus!

If you can’t afford a whole basket full of Spokandy’s delectables, use their quality products as a centerpiece, surrounded by the old faithfuls.

Peeps

Born in the 1950s, the original Peeps required a 27 hour for production, from start to finish. It was carved down to a sixminute process in the late 50s. Today, 5.5 million Peeps are made every day—roughly 2 billion a year. Of the five colors, yellow, white, pink, blue and lavender, yellow is the best-selling Peep.

Reeses Eggs

First introduced in 1967, nationwide, the peanut butter and chocolate nod to Easter is a national favorite. After the success of the Reeses Egg, the company produced Christmas trees, pumpkins and hearts.

Hershey Solid Milk Chocolate Eggs

Hershey’s Kisses debuted in 1907. Their egg shaped cousins premiered in the 1980s. Today, you can purchase the fat bags full of hundreds of the foil covered eggs, or an egg-shaped gift box with just 6.5 ounces of the popular confections.

Trolli Sour Brite Gummy Bunnies

Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company introduced Trolli Gummy Worms 30 years ago. But for Easter, they’ve transformed the sour gummies into bunnyeared beauties. The dime sized sugary rabbits have just enough tartness to delight your tastebuds.

Tootsie Roll Eggs

Tootsie Roll has been one of America’s favorite chewy candies since 1896. Newest in the Tootsie Roll family is the Tootsie Roll Egg, a chewy fruit flavored morsel wrapped in a thin, candy coating to add a fun crunch.

Zombie Bunny Guts

Originally created for Halloween, Zombie Bunny Guts are the idea gummy candy for folks with a slightly twisted point of view. Sugary chick shaped sugar bombs with a hint of fruit flavor paired with the bunny zombie label make it the perfect weird addition to Easter.