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ICONIC PEOPLE, PLACES & DISHES T H A T A N C H O R S T L’ S F O O D S C E N E
ST. LOUIS STANDARDS
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The Sweet Spot With more than a century in business, Crown Candy just won’t quit Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
W
hen Andy Karandzieff wants to illustrate just how much Crown Candy Kitchen means to him and his family, he brings up his father, George. A former World War II Army tank driver who took over the famous Old North soda fountain from his dad in 1951, George dedicated his life to the business, working sunup to sundown, seven days a week. Easter was always the shop’s busy season, and the Karandzieff family knew to put everything else in their lives on hold during that chaotic time of year. It came as no surprise, then, that even when he became very ill and was nearing the end of his life, his dad would not break that vow. “This is the nature of who we are,” Karandzieff says. “It was Easter of 2005, and my father was in hospice. It was literally Easter week, which is high season for us. My father lived for Easter week and loved making and selling the bunnies. We knew he wasn’t going to make it, and when we drove Mom home from the nursing home, we told her that if he dies before Easter, we will have to close. She told us he would have to wait because we can’t close the store. We said, ‘Understood, mom.’ We got through the week, then on Easter Sunday we all went and saw Dad, and after we left Mom told him, ‘Easter is over, George. You can go now.’ He took a breath, closed his eyes and was gone. That was my father; through sheer force of will, he knew he had to make it through Easter so we could make it through Easter week and do what we do.” It was fitting that Karandzieff’s dad would have held true to his commitment to Crown Candy all the way to the end. Founded in 1913 by George’s father, Harry
Above: The BLT is Crown Candy Kitchen’s iconic sandwich. Left: Confections for all seasons are the heart of Crown Candy Kitchen. | MABEL SUEN
Karandzieff, the shop is a living history of both the family and the city of St. Louis. Karandzieff takes pride in that legacy: His grandfather, a Greek émigré who traveled to the United States with just a few dollars and some confectionary skills, founded the now-institution as a candy shop with an intentionally vague name so as not to hint at his immigrant background. That it has not just survived, but thrived, for over 100 years is a testament to his family’s commitment to the shop, the neighborhood, the city and the loyal guests who bring generations of their families to the corner of 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue year after year.
Karandzieff believes that one of the main keys to Crown Candy’s success is that it has not fundamentally altered anything about itself over those years, but has stayed true to its roots as a confectionery and soda fountain. Though originally established as a candy shop alone, Karandzieff’s grandfather added ice cream in the 1920s, but did not serve food until after George took over — apparently giving in because people kept getting confused by the word “kitchen” in the name. Between the food service and candy-making, George needed help, and he drafted his sons, Karandzieff and his brothers, Mike and Tommy, to
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assist him in steering the ship. As the boys got older, they began taking the reins from their dad, which coincided with an uptick in their lunch business. Karandzieff credits that change to several local media personalities such as Jack Carney and Jerry Berger who began promoting the shop on their radio shows and in newspaper columns. Before the Karandzieffs knew it, they became inundated with hungry customers who would line up for their simple soda-fountain fare — and one sandwich in particular. “People always want to know how the BLT came about,” Karandzieff laughs. “We blame our employees. It didn’t start out so big, but eventually, they just kept putting more and more bacon on it, and it became a thing. Once that happened, it was too late to go back, and suddenly, we were known for our BLT.” The BLT may have been a happy accident, but it put the restaurant on the national radar, thanks to
DECEMBER 15-21, 2021
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