Enstrom’s- world-famous toffee may have happened unexpectedly; it has become a household name, and for many families, the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without it. But Enstrom Candies is so much more than sixty years of almond toffee. It’s a company that has been built on perseverance and a strong sense of community. Founder Chet Enstrom and his descendants have turned a small candy shop into a thriving business, and the world is a sweeter place because of them.
Chester Enstrom began his career in the ice cream business. He and his wife Vernie moved to Grand Junction in 1929, and they partnered with Harry Jones, a local salesman, to open the Jones-Enstrom Ice Cream Company. Unfortunately, that fall, the stock market crashed, sending ripples that affected the entire country. Having invested everything in their new venture, they were determined to keep their doors open. Chet used his refrigeration engineering skills to help folks in the Grand Valley and, by supplementing their income, managed to keep the ice cream company alive.
Chet and Harry remained in business together for 30 years, and Chet’s candy-making expertise was greatly appreciated every year during the Grand Junction Lions Club Carnival, where he volunteered to run the candy booth and raffle of his hand-dipped chocolates in donated shoeboxes. His candies were beginning to make him a local celebrity. During World War II, Chet offered to make toffee for parents to send to their sons overseas. The parents provided butter and sugar, which were rationed at the time, and Chet provided the remaining ingredients.
While working on candy for the shop’s butter brickle ice cream, Chet perfected a recipe for almond toffee. Little did he know that the treat would soon become world-renowned. The buttery confection began to turn heads in 1960, and he and Vernie opened up their own mom-and-pop candy shop, Enstrom Candy Company, where they offered hand-dipped chocolates, small-batch caramels, and their one-of-a-kind almond toffee.
Amid a flood of orders and a growing reputation, Chet sold the business to his son and daughter-in-law, Emil and Mary Enstrom, who continued to establish Enstrom Candies as a treasured, community-minded business. Their daughter Jamie and son-in-law Doug Simons joined the business in 1979. At the time, they were shipping toffee and candies to 10,000 mail-order customers – all via hand-typed addresses copied from Rolodex cards. The Simons brought the company to the rest of the world by introducing the latest technologies. They purchased the company in 1993 and have continued to build the business in the spirit of the company’s founder.
Today, Enstrom Candies has five locations throughout Colorado. The signature Grand Junction flagship store on Colorado Avenue doubles as the factory, where customers can actually watch the rich and delightful toffee and other confections being made behind the glass. The Grand Junction Corner Square store offers candy lovers on the north side of town an opportunity to stop in for a treat and a coffee. The Montrose location resides along Highway 550 and serves travelers headed to Telluride and beyond. Two brick-and-mortar storefronts can be found on the Front Range, one in Arvada and one in Cherry Creek, providing ample opportunities for visitors to satiate a sweet tooth and pick up a gift for a lucky recipient.
The company, which has grown exponentially over the decades, is planning the construction of a 50,000-plus-square-foot building to serve as a warehouse, distribution center, and office building at 28 Road and Grand Avenue. The plans are to continue to operate the Seventh Street and Colorado Avenue location while relocating the warehouse, distribution center and graphic design departments to the new location. As Enstrom Candies continues to grow, the new space will accommodate future growth as well.
The candy company has been handcrafting almond toffee for 60 years. The family is adamant about sustainably sourcing only the finest and freshest ingredients to craft their Almond Toffee and other fine confections. They continue to build on the principles of determination, compassion, and community spirit that set the company apart in founder Chet Enstrom’s time. As Chet once stated, “We’re just making a little almond toffee for a few of our friends.”
The luxurious toffee has evolved into a go-to gift for candy connoisseurs all over the world. It is still made from the traditional recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. But there’s no need to wait for the holidays to treat your friends, your family, or even yourself with this one-of-a-kind delight. Visit their stores in Grand Junction or stop in one of their Front Range locations and sink your teeth into some world famous toffee.
