Whether it’s Fairy Food or Original Whipped Creme Eggs, most Milwaukeeans are familiar with Buddy Squirrel’s signature confections. The 102-year old candy company (which also operated under the name Quality Candy) continues to take pride in offering its long-time favorite chocolates, but COO Scott Repinski and his team are hard at work also catering to today’s taste buds.
“Buddy Squirrel is reinventing itself to be around for another 100 years,” Repinski said.
While the artisan-made Fairy Food (a chocolate covered sponge candy) and Original Whipped Creme Eggs—or “whips”—along with Pecan Tads, mint meltaways, cherry cordials, flavored popcorn, nuts and savory snacks have long been signature items and consistent sellers, new “healthier for you” items are being added. Those include The Chocolate Trader line of non-GMO, 70% cocoa bites in original dark chocolate, dark chocolate mint or dark chocolate with sea salt, all infused with olive oil; or dark chocolate clusters with dried berries.
Another newer product is the Stella & Lucy candy-coated chocolate bits, free from unhealthy additives and preservatives. “Clean M&Ms,” Repinski called them. The company aims to introduce these to the market in fall.
Buddy Squirrel has its eye on the future, but it’s certainly not forgetting its past. Joseph and Lottie Helminiak founded Buddy Squirrel in 1916. They operated in a store on Mitchell Street for many years, and the company moved to its current 70,000-square-foot plant and retail kitchen store in St. Francis during the mid-1980s. The newer Joseph & Lottie line pays homage to the company’s founders and brings their names to life, highlighting the signature products. The company’s original recipes haven’t changed.
For Valentine’s Day, Buddy Squirrel has some themed candy and heart-shaped boxes with chocolate assortments, but on the 15th of February, the whips come out—much to the delight of people who have fond memories of finding whips carefully nestled among the strands of artificial grass in their Easter baskets. Other chocolate companies make whips, but Buddy Squirrel’s whipped filing is especially light and fluffy, coated with rich, fresh milk or dark chocolate. This Easter, the whips will come in vanilla, chocolate, maple, raspberry and mint flavors. Repinski said they expect to produce about 40,000 pounds of whips by Easter. Other Easter specialties include novelty-molded eggs, bunnies and baskets.
Online shopping has drastically changed how businesses sell their product, so Buddy Squirrel is revamping its website and online order process, said Retail Operations Manager Jordan Gale. Along with the retail kitchen store, Buddy Squirrel has a presence at Southridge Mall and Brookfield Square, but they might scale back, particularly at the struggling Southridge. “Amazon has changed things quite a bit, so we’re really developing our web presence so customers can get the products they want,” Gale said. “We offer gift towers with popcorn or popular chocolates, bundled together in an aesthetically pleasing package.” Future efforts may include expanding the retail kitchen store to further emphasize the company’s culture.
Buddy Squirrel is in the process of a Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Institute audit. Once complete, it will allow the company to sell to larger stores. “We have a very impressive plan in place, and I believe we can get it done with the people around us. I could not be more proud of this team of employees,” Repinski said. “It’s The Dream Team. I have the tools to make this a great success story in Milwaukee.”
For more information, visit buddysquirrel.com.
