Caruso’s celebrating 95th anniversary this week

Published 10:50 am Tuesday, September 19, 2017

By Ted Yoakum

DOWAGIAC — On Sept. 14, 1922, an Italian immigrant couple was able to enjoy the sweet taste of the American dream after purchasing a small candy shop nestled in the heart of Front Street in downtown Dowagiac.

In turn, Antonio and Emilia Caruso delivered the sweet tastes of handmade chocolates, loaded ice cream sundaes, thick and frothy malts and milkshakes, and fizzy soda pop to customers passing through the doors of the shop, which they called Caruso’s Candy Kitchen.

In the years that followed, the name “Caruso’s” has become synonymous with sugary goodness — and even sweeter memories — for generations living in The Grand Old City.

Under the careful stewardship of the family’s latest candy-making maven, the Caruso name and legacy continues to serve as one of the pillars of the city’s downtown.

On Friday, the business, located at 130 S. Front St., will celebrate its sweetest milestone to date — reaching its 95th birthday. To commemorate the anniversary, owner Julie Johnson and her staff will offer a number of deals to customers, on Friday and Saturday.

These offers will include:

• Several drawings, including for one of four gift certificates worth $19.22, and one for a year’s worth of free monthly refills for a jar of the shop’s house made chocolate syrup

• Special discounts on select items, which will be sold for 95 cents

• Commemorative glasses, which will be sold for $2 while supplies last

• A deal where customers can order three caramel apples and get another one for free

People may visit the Caruso’s Candy & Soda Shop Facebook page at facebook.com/carusoscandy throughout the week for updates on the anniversary celebration. Former employees are welcome to share memories of their time working for Caruso’s online or in person at the shop, Johnson said.

Caruso’s Candy Kitchen opened its doors on Sept. 22, 1922, a little more than a week after Antonio and Emilia purchased the former Chicago Candy Kitchen. The couple made a few renovations to the space, including installing several Italian window facades along the dining room that they based off the ones used to see when they still lived on the other side of the Atlantic.

The business has remained in the Caruso family ever since. Johnson, one of Antonio and Emilia’s granddaughters, took over management of the business alongside her sister, Jane Wright, in 2003 from their cousin, Mary Myers.

“We wanted to make sure the family business continued on for future generations,” said Johnson, who worked at Caruso’s as a teenager.

The sisters purchased the business outright from Myers in 2005. Wright stepped away from the candy shop in 2013 to pursue other ventures, leaving Johnson as the sole owner and candy maker in chief.

While she has experimented with new candies here or there, much of what Johnson concocts in the kitchen could be found lining the shelves 95 years ago. The business owner has continued to follow her grandfather’s recipes — which he picked up from other candy makers back in his day — and uses the same copper kettles and wooden paddles he once employed to create his sweets.

Johnson spends several hours a day in the confectionary kitchen to create the chocolate-covered nut clusters, toffee and other delectable treats for which the candy shop is known (this time of year, the caramel apples are the big sellers, Johnson said). The cooking process can take anywhere from two hours to three to four days to complete, depending on the treat, she said.

“It’s really an art,” Johnson said. “It takes a long time to learn the field. You can’t really describe the process — you mostly make candy through feel.”

Like in the kitchen, the front of the house is largely unchanged from the days her grandparents ran the place, with the Italian-style soda fountain and old wooden tables still intact. Much of the equipment is vintage as well, including the shop’s Hamilton Beach malt machine, which date back to the 1940s, Johnson said.

This combination of sweet tastes and powerful nostalgia has brought customers returning to the candy shop time and time again, including the shop’s “coffee club” who have been getting together first thing in the morning for nearly 70 years, Johnson said. Recently, she talked to a couple who had not been to the shop since they were children, back in 1947.

“I love the fact that we are able to bring people back to their childhoods, back to the good old days,” Johnson said. “You step into the past when you step into Caruso’s.”

In addition to sweets, Caruso’s continues to offer more savory tastes to customers during lunchtime. The shop serves sandwiches and soups every day, including its signature toasted tuna sandwich.

The shop has offered lunch service since it opened in 1922, making it the oldest spot to grab a bite to eat downtown still in operation, Johnson said.

“We had a woman from Niles stop in for lunch the other day,” Johnson said. “She told me, ‘I’ve been eating the ham salad sandwich from here since I was a little girl, and no one makes them the same way you do.’”

While every anniversary is important, Johnson said she and her staff are particularly excited about this weekend as — with 95 years under its belt — the business is inching closer and closer to its big centennial birthday.

“Come be a part of our landmark anniversary [this weekend],” Johnson said. “Sign our guest book and enjoy a sweet treat.”

The store will offer extended hours on Friday, where it will be open until 6 p.m. For additional information, visit the shop’s website at carusoscandys.com.

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