See’s Candies Shop Opens in Edina

The store’s black-and-white checkerboard floor might make you think you’ve stepped into Wonderland, but it’s a craving for fine chocolates, not a rabbit hole, that will bring you here. Truffles, fudge, maple cashew brittle and filled chocolates are now available at See’s Candies newest location at Southdale Center, which opened in May in advance of the mall’s Sept. 28 grand reopening.Customers are encouraged to sample before buying. “Every time a customer walks into one of our shops, we give them the opportunity to try something new,” says See’s brand marketing manager Natalie Brown. In addition to giving away 1 million pounds of free sample candy, See’s sells another 26 million pounds each year.The California-based company, now owned by Warren Buffet, has come a long way since Charles and Florence See (along with Charles’ mother Mary) opened the first shop in Los Angeles in 1921. After starting the business on the heels of the 1920 Fannie May Chicago grand opening, See’s fared well on the West Coast. Despite the Great Depression, 30 shops managed to thrive. Today, “California’s Famous Old Time Candies” are sold at more than 200 locations.With fall in full swing, there are plenty of specials to enjoy at See’s, including pumpkin pie truffles and seasonal gift sets. Bestsellers include the Bridge Mix, or “happiness by the handful,” as See’s describes it (one-pound box, $17.50). This milk and dark chocolate-coated mixture of almonds, pecans, raisins, caramel and California brittle is made year-round.