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Lilett’ Candies History

As its logo states, Lilett’ Candies has been making candy since 1949. Under the original owners, Jim and Lillian Manusos, Lilett’ Candies and Ice Cream flourished in the early days of candy and ice cream stores in Chicago.

Like many start ups, Lilett’ Candies was built with a little vision, a little money, and a lot of love and sweat-equity. The name Lilett’ accent on the second t - is not a personal name, per se, but a stylized name of Jim’s wife, Lillian. Li (short i) lett’ (short e, hard second t).

Leading the way for this local ‘mom & pop’ operation to differentiate itself from the many other neighborhood establishments in Chicago was their proprietary recipe and process for making their version of the ever popular candy - English Toffee. Today, we categorize this business group as ‘Gourmet’. With focus on this core gourmet candy product, Lilett’ Candies and Ice Cream was open for business.

Even back in 1949, it took more than one product to open a candy store. The original owners developed additional proprietary recipes for other candy products to support their core product and round out their candy line. As all candy stores back then, they served ice cream during the summer months when hot weather and demand for chocolates and candy gave way to cool drinks and ice cream treats.

As the years went on, the original owners moved their business to Broadview, a thriving community in the western suburbs of Chicago. It is during this time in Broadview that they set the framework for Lilett’ Candies and Ice Cream to be the quintessential candy and ice cream store in the western suburbs. Residents of the small suburban town, as well as many residents from neighboring towns frequented the little store for their candy and ice cream needs for years. In 1987, Jim Manusos sold the business after the death of his lovely wife Lillian.

It would be the first of two sales of ownership of this unique candy and ice cream store.

The new owners quickly moved Lilett’ Candies and Ice Cream to the downtown of another neighboring small town, Brookfield.

In 1994, after 5 years of dedication to the neighborhood business, the partners decided to shed the ice cream side and focus on gourmet candy making, only. Hence, Lilett’ Candies was born.

A single story commercial property along the heavily trafficked Burlington Northern commuter and freight rail road line in Brookfield was purchased. This one-time newspaper distribution center was transformed into a first rate gourmet candy kitchen and retail store with room for expansion, as necessary.

With a lot of hard work and dedication, Lilett’ Candies, at the Corner of Brookfield and Sunnyside Avenues, was open for business.

PART 2

In April of 2000, Karen Crane Gula, owner of Karand Chocolate, a small wholesale chocolatier, and full time homemaker, purchased Lilett’ Candies.

It has become her mission to continue making “Gourmet Candy As It Was Meant To Be” as the original owners Jim and Lillian Manusos would have wanted. This mission statement reflects her philosophy as a gourmet candy maker and chocolatier and defines the products the company makes, sells and markets.

It is also the goal of the current owner to re-establish Lilett’ Candies as the quintessential retail gourmet candy store one piece of English Toffee, one Fudgeball and one Caramel Apple at a time. Sixty years later Jim and Lillian would be proud.

We hope you enjoy our products and continue to be a Lilett’ customer for years to come. Visit us at our store in Brookfield, online at www.lilett.com or call us at 708-387-2525 during regular business hours.

If you have a favorite memory of Lilett’ Candies and Ice Cream, from its early days in Chicago or in Broadview, we would like to hear from you. Contact us via email at lilett@sbcglobal.net or send us something through the US Mail. Our address is 3808 Sunnyside, Brookfield, IL 60513.

For our order form and prices, please click here.