Sanders Confectionery
Encyclopedia
Sanders Confectionery is a company formed in Detroit
in 1875, best known to those in the midwestern United States for its assortment of ice cream
, toppings, bumpy cakes and candies. The Sanders brand is currently owned by the Morley Candy Company
.
Ice cream was soon added to the menu, then baked goods and sweet cream sodas. One popular story states that on one hot summer day, the store was packed with thirsty customers, and Sanders noticed that the sweet cream used for the sodas had gone sour. So he quickly substituted ice cream, and it became the talk of the town. Sanders is among those who claim to have invented the ice cream soda
. Business became so brisk that the store expanded and Sanders hired more employees.
In 1891, Sanders renamed his expanded store on Woodward Avenue the "Pavilion of Sweets", with an unusual mosque-style cupola
and red and white awnings. Sanders eventually moved his downtown location to the west side of Woodward, across from what would become Kern's department store. Before long, the company had cornered the candy market in the Motor City. The company started a chain of stand-alone neighborhood candy stores, some featuring counters that also served light lunches and soda fountain
drinks. The chain also expanded into shopping centers and by the 1960s, there were 58 Sanders outlets in metro Detroit. Sanders products were also sold in about two hundred supermarkets and groceries throughout the midwest.
The company began to decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the company closed its flagship downtown store. The company had gone through several different owners and had at one point gone bankrupt. Sanders closed most of its lunch counters and its headquarters in Highland Park
. The company restructured itself by selling its products directly to grocery stores. The company was purchased in 2002 by the Morley Candy Company, another Michigan-based confectionery firm, and under the new ownership, the Sanders retail outlets began making a comeback in the Detroit area. In the spring of 2007, Sanders retail outlets were in Livonia
, Birmingham
, Grosse Pointe
and Wyandotte
. The company also opened an outlet at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In 2009, the company reported plans to expand to over a dozen locations.http://www.detnews.com/article/20091016/BIZ/910160393/Detroit-candy-icon-Sanders-launches-expansion
While the ice cream soda was the first signature menu item, Sanders would also become known for its hot fudge sundae
s, complete with a hot fudge recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. Other popular menu items included the hot fudge cream puff
and the "bumpy cake", which consisted of a chocolate frosting covering "bumps" of white buttercream.
To commemorate the centennial of the company in 1975, Jack Sanders, great-grandson of the founder, invited then-Detroit mayor Coleman Young
, the Detroit city council, and other Detroit celebrities to create their favorite ice cream desserts. Sanders also recreated an 1890's horse-drawn wagon that crisscrossed the Detroit area to celebrate the centennial.
The Detroit Historical Society honored Sanders that same year for innovations that included the first carry-out service, the low stools and counters, and the use of dry ice
to keep ice cream cold.
Since the 1990s the Stroh's Ice Cream
brand has carried a line of "Sanders Parlor Classics" flavors inspired by the Sanders stores.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1875, best known to those in the midwestern United States for its assortment of ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
, toppings, bumpy cakes and candies. The Sanders brand is currently owned by the Morley Candy Company
Morley Candy Company
Morley Candy Company or Morley Candy Makers is a confectioner based in Clinton Township, Michigan. The company, founded in 1919, is famous for its peanut butter blocks and assorted chocolates. Morley Candy owns and markets the Sanders Confectionary line, which is famous for its Bumpy Cakes, sundae...
.
History
The company was founded by German-born Frederick Sanders Schmidt on June 17, 1875, when he opened a candy store on Woodward Avenue at Gratiot in downtown Detroit. Schmidt, who went by his middle name, had originally opened his first shop in Chicago but relocated to Detroit after his store was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.Ice cream was soon added to the menu, then baked goods and sweet cream sodas. One popular story states that on one hot summer day, the store was packed with thirsty customers, and Sanders noticed that the sweet cream used for the sodas had gone sour. So he quickly substituted ice cream, and it became the talk of the town. Sanders is among those who claim to have invented the ice cream soda
Ice cream soda
An ice cream soda or float , coke float , or spider , is a beverage that consists of one or more scoops of ice cream in either a soft drink or in a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water.-Origins:The ice cream soda was invented by Robert M...
. Business became so brisk that the store expanded and Sanders hired more employees.
In 1891, Sanders renamed his expanded store on Woodward Avenue the "Pavilion of Sweets", with an unusual mosque-style cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and red and white awnings. Sanders eventually moved his downtown location to the west side of Woodward, across from what would become Kern's department store. Before long, the company had cornered the candy market in the Motor City. The company started a chain of stand-alone neighborhood candy stores, some featuring counters that also served light lunches and soda fountain
Soda fountain
A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores...
drinks. The chain also expanded into shopping centers and by the 1960s, there were 58 Sanders outlets in metro Detroit. Sanders products were also sold in about two hundred supermarkets and groceries throughout the midwest.
The company began to decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the company closed its flagship downtown store. The company had gone through several different owners and had at one point gone bankrupt. Sanders closed most of its lunch counters and its headquarters in Highland Park
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
. The company restructured itself by selling its products directly to grocery stores. The company was purchased in 2002 by the Morley Candy Company, another Michigan-based confectionery firm, and under the new ownership, the Sanders retail outlets began making a comeback in the Detroit area. In the spring of 2007, Sanders retail outlets were in Livonia
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
, Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Grosse Pointe is a suburban city bordering Detroit in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city covers just over one square mile, and had a population of 5,421 at the 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by Grosse Pointe Park, on the north by Detroit, on the east by Grosse Pointe...
and Wyandotte
Wyandotte, Michigan
Wyandotte is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,883 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 7.6% from 2000. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and is part of the collection of communities known as...
. The company also opened an outlet at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In 2009, the company reported plans to expand to over a dozen locations.http://www.detnews.com/article/20091016/BIZ/910160393/Detroit-candy-icon-Sanders-launches-expansion
Legacy
Sanders had been one of the first businesses in Detroit to be open on Sunday. Although business would be good, Fred Sanders would eventually bow to pressure and close on Sundays.While the ice cream soda was the first signature menu item, Sanders would also become known for its hot fudge sundae
Sundae
The sundae is an ice cream dessert. It typically consists of a scoop of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup, and in some cases other toppings including chopped nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, or maraschino cherries.-History:...
s, complete with a hot fudge recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. Other popular menu items included the hot fudge cream puff
Cream puff
A profiterole, cream puff or choux à la crème is a choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or ice cream. The puffs may be decorated or left plain or garnished with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar....
and the "bumpy cake", which consisted of a chocolate frosting covering "bumps" of white buttercream.
To commemorate the centennial of the company in 1975, Jack Sanders, great-grandson of the founder, invited then-Detroit mayor Coleman Young
Coleman Young
Coleman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
, the Detroit city council, and other Detroit celebrities to create their favorite ice cream desserts. Sanders also recreated an 1890's horse-drawn wagon that crisscrossed the Detroit area to celebrate the centennial.
The Detroit Historical Society honored Sanders that same year for innovations that included the first carry-out service, the low stools and counters, and the use of dry ice
Dry ice
Dry ice, sometimes referred to as "Cardice" or as "card ice" , is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue...
to keep ice cream cold.
Since the 1990s the Stroh's Ice Cream
Stroh's Ice Cream
Stroh's Ice Cream, founded by the Stroh Brewing Company of Detroit, Michigan, is currently owned and distributed by Dean Foods of Dallas, TX.It is essentially a regional brand distributed mainly in the Midwestern United States...
brand has carried a line of "Sanders Parlor Classics" flavors inspired by the Sanders stores.
Sources
- Of soda fountains and ice cream parlors February 11, 1996 Detroit News