Josh Early Candies, Allentown

Our History

Josh Early Candies® history begins in the early 1900's. J. Mark Early, also known as Josh Early III, and a partner sold wholesale candy under the business name of Richardson and Early. Several decades later, J. Mark's son, Josh Early IV and his wife, Millie (pictured above), started their own retail business in Reading, Pennsylvania. He named his store Early's Old Fashioned Chocolates and, in 1938, made his first batch of butter creams under the curious eye of his young son, Josh Early V.

Father and son worked together in Reading for many years developing the freshest, highest quality chocolates available. Defining the company's fundamental philosophy, they never sacrificed quality for convenience. Over the years, they perfected this philosophy, and in 1956 Josh V began making and selling candy wholesale in nearby Baumstown. Josh V and his wife Marge worked there for five years before opening their own retail store on Hamilton Boulevard in Allentown.

The new business thrived and Josh and Marge's son-in-law Barry Dobil joined them in 1972. With his new partner, Josh now fulfilled a long-time wish to open a second retail store. After much searching and planning, a second location on Bethlehem's Nazareth Pike was opened in 1982. Four years later, construction of Interstate 78 forced the partners to relocate their original Hamilton Boulevard store to its current location at 4640 Tilghman Street in Allentown.

To date, our master candy makers continue to use the same batch recipes developed in the early 1900's. We currently have four other family members continuing the tradition of Josh Early Candies, and are proud to say that we are now a fifth generation family business.

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