OBRIENs CANDY STORE. The prettiest and most attractive candy store on the Pacific Coast. O’Brien’s Candy Store was more than a business to San Joseans, it was an institution, the natural spot to stroll to after a show or the ideal place to meet a friend on a lazy afternoon. The first place to serve ice cream and sodas west of Detroit in 1878, O’Brien’s Candy Store was founded in 1868 by Maurice O’Brien, an Irish immigrant. With $500 in his pocket, he began his San Jose candy business by selling baskets of candy in the doorway of the Pacific Hotel. Soon outgrowing his doorway location as his business rapidly prospered, O’Brien moved to a corner stand at First and San Fernando, and in 1874 to 30 South First Street, the home of O’Brien’s Candy Store for the next fifty three years. A family business until the mid-1900’s, O’Brien’s symbolized “nothing but the very best” to all those interested in the newest and fanciest fountain drinks and concerned with the “special attention given to the making and serving of novel ices and ice creams. Treat Ice Cream is a locavore’s delight. As a small boutique operation, Treat produces creamery ice cream using real favorings, cream, milk, and sugar and no preservatives. The specialty ice cream has been produced in downtown San Jose for more than 50 years, supplying ice cream to more than 75 local ice cream parlors, independent grocers, caterers and restaurants, including O’Briens at the Pacific Hotel. The most elegant was O’Brien’s, started as a candy store by Maurice O’Brien in 1868. Under the leadership of Maurice’s son Charlie, it grew from candy making to include a soda fountain, restaurant, and bakery, and was famed throughout the west. The San Jose Rotary Club’s first meeting place was in the O’Brien’s fountain in 1914. When it was moved to 223 S. First St. it became more expensive and more elaborate than any of the other soda fountains. It was a great place for the girls from Notre Dame High School to meet the boys from Bellarmine and Santa Clara University. (Note OBriens candy store on the right). Flavors subject to vary. The monthly flavors are: Chocolate Mint Flake Coffee Almond Fudge Cookie Mint Crunch Cookies ‘n’ Cream Double Strawberry Marble Black Raspberry Pralines ‘n’ Caramel Rocky Road Tin Roof Sundae Vanilla Chocolate Fantasy Seasonal Flavors: October/November: Pumpkin, French Apple December: Egg Nog
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 08:24:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015