In a little more than a decade, Old Glory Candy has become a destination for locals and visitors in Shawano County.
Established in 2013 as a traditional candy store, Old Glory moved in 2023 after extensive remodeling in a building it leases. The business occupies a prime site in downtown Shawano and has positioned itself front and center in the business community as well.
“We always thought we wanted to go bigger, but we also wanted to stay in the [business improvement district],” says Karen Preston, one of Old Glory’s four co-owners. “The foot traffic is exceptionally good.”
Preston says it was a big investment of resources to expand, but it allowed the business to add soft serve ice cream, a small seating area and additional inventory.
The other owners, Preston’s husband Curt, as well as Jenny and James Maltbey, grew up in the area. Both couples have raised families and the Prestons were both teachers in Shawano. The idea for the business came from a visit to Montana where they ran across a similar store and thought it might be a good fit for Shawano.
“Shawano’s been a great place to own a business because of all the support we get,” Preston says.
She says it took a while for each of the co-owners to find their roles in the business as it became established and grew. It’s proven to be an ongoing process, as Preston recently retired from teaching and has taken on more day-to-day responsibilities.
That includes making the homemade fudge that Preston says is by far the best-seller at the store. The signature product is lemon drop fudge, which is made using syrup from Twig’s Beverages Sundrop soda.
“We like to work closely with existing businesses in town and in close proximity to Shawano,” Preston says.
The store offers a wide variety of sweet products, including bulk candy, fine chocolates, nostalgic candy, novelty candy, gummies, licorice, dried nuts and fruits, candy bars and seasonal items like caramel apples.
It also offers corporate gifts and gift baskets. Around Christmas or Valentine’s Day, it will sell premade boxes or baskets, but Preston says they like to help people with custom orders. She says it’s a skill at which the staff of 10 excels.
“We have really loyal employees who have been with us for years and years,” Preston says. “We have a blast.”
Preston says that also reflects the mood of customers. “Very few people come into a candy store and are crabby. It’s a pretty happy place to be.”
