Episode 220: Merb’s Candies

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - For more than a century, St. Lousians have flocked to South Grand for handmade and hand-dipped chocolates and candies at Merb’s Candies.

The neon site beckons customers into the corner store, where they’re greeted with the sweet smell of chocolate. In the back, employees handcraft chocolates on equipment that’s been around for decades, some of it older than Taylor Bearden herself.

Taylor and her sister are the third generation to operate the candy store in south St. Louis. Their grandfather bought it in the 1970s after seeing an ad in the newspaper. We sat down with Taylor to talk about the store, the candy they’re famous for, and what it means to carry on a legacy of a small business started by women in 1921.

Holiday candy is one of the biggest drivers of their success, and Valentine’s Day is one of their busiest holidays as longtime customers come out for chocolate-covered strawberries. You can find their handcrafted chocolates at their original location in the city or their second location in South County.

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