It is no coincidence that America's first candy shop -- Shane Candies Company -- is also the site of the printing of America's first Bible. God truly blessed Shane's recipe and has granted him success since 1876.
Saturated with a huge variety of heavenly delights, this quaint little shop offers all the mints, lemon drops, licorice and, of course, more chocolate than any sweet tooth could possibly want. Most customers come for the ecstasy-inducing dark vanilla butter creams and bite-size coconut cream eggs.
In the spirit of the season, Easter bunnies and enormous one-pound eggs deck every knook and cranny of the little shop. Their masterpiece, a chocolate bunny the size of Santa Claus, welcomes the customer as he enters the store. If you are looking for a more pious way to celebrate the holiday, Shane Candies also offers chocolate crosses.
Probably the greatest allure of the store is its strong sense of tradition. The inside of the store looks like the spawn of Willy Wonka and Ben Franklin. With the delicate molding of the ceiling and American flags draping all over the store, one cannot help but feel as if they have stepped into a historic landmark. "It is authentic. It hasn't changed over the years. It has become part of our family's Easter tradition to shop here," said Manayunk resident and Shane customer Daniela Voith.
In spite of growing technologies in the candy business, Shane Candies is still one of the only stores that still makes its own cream fillings from scratch, which explains the candy's popularity. According to owner, Barry Shane, "Making candy is making the centers...I follow 90% of the recipes that my father followed."
Luckily, Shane Candies has not turned into Hershey Park. The majority of its customers are regulars who keep coming back over the years. "We get some walk-by traffic, but it's a destination," said Shane. "They have to know about it. People come from all over."
If loving Shane's chocolate is wrong, I don't want to be right. Amen.
