Saturday, September 30, 2006

Behind The Candy Counter: B&B's Country Store

A recent road trip took us north to Montello on a sparkling fall Friday where we found B&B's owner Bryan Claesges ready to chat about Kookabura licorice, black record wheels (they used to have the pink candy ball in the middle), and other sweet stuff. He handed out samples and said only the small ice cream counter closes for the winter, a time he hopes to step up phone and online orders.

Bryan at B&Bs
Across from a small town barbershop, B&B's is the classic white paper bag candy store. It has wooden floors, the mandatory Wisconsin fudge, taffy, and gift shop items, and a bookcase full of fifty cent paperbacks. The baskets and jars and shelves of bulk candy make this place the sweet shop of your childhood dreams.
Bryan and Becki Claesges took the business over from Bryan's parents two years ago, which is about the time a customer mentioned the Aussie Kookabura licorice. This is the first place I found the real Snaps after the dry spell, and a great place to buy bulk Black Jack Taffy. On the Zagnut next best thing front, you can fill a bag with Coconut Long Boys, Chick-O-Sticks, and coconut crunch bites.
Their nostalgic candy shelves are respectable, and their mass of bulk candy is admirable. They have a nice shelf of malted milk balls and offer sugar free selections. It's easy to find, right before the water tower at the corner of 22 and 23. Just follow the bikers.
Bryan talks to my sugar buzzed cousin in the video below.


4 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:50 PM

    The video didn't play audio for me! But oh, what a talent you have, cuz. I hope the candy store gets more business now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very cool video use! I'm with Shannon on the impressed scale. Can you do a tutorial??

    I really like the tone of your blog. So friendly (and how could it not be with the subject matter?), yet quite informative. I've never heard of most of the candies you're mentioning, but now I want to go to B&B's to get some!

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  3. Cuz, did you have the sound on?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beth,
    I went to You Tube because I kept seeing the name, but you can play around with any place that stores your files.
    Sign up, upload your video, and use the code they provide. Paste the code where you want the video to appear, and that's that.
    The blogspot help section gives you other choices and tips.

    ReplyDelete

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