Timeline

SEE'S CANDIES TIMELINE
See's Candies vintage delivery cars
Take a sweet trip back in time through the history of See's Candies! Growing from a single shop in LA to one of the nation's most beloved companies, we've had many moments of deliciousness along the way—remaining as dedicated to taste, quality, tradition and service as ever.
1921

1921

 
storefront of See's first shop
Charles See Opens His First Shop
 
With dreams of starting his own candy company in sunny California, Canadian chocolate salesman Charles A. See moved to Los Angeles with his family and widowed mother, Mary See. There, at 135 Western Avenue North, he opened the first See's shop, selling Mary's delicious confections made from her own original recipes.
1925
1925

 
See's Candies advertisement
Expanding Across Los Angeles
 
By 1925, there were a dozen See's chocolate shops across Los Angeles, including a location in the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater building.
1928
1928

 
See's delivery motorcycle
Door-to-Door Delivery
 
Motorcycle delivery service started in LA when Hugh Fry, a shipping clerk, would don a chauffeur's uniform and hop on a customized Harley to deliver See's around town. Customers included many Hollywood celebrities and movie stars!
1929
1929

 
See's Candies shop managers
The Great Depression
 
With so many Americans out of work, the Depression was a difficult time for businesses. See's competitors were still selling candy at 80¢ per pound, and many were forced to close their doors. Charles See managed to reduce his prices without depleting the bottom line, charging only 42¢ a pound for pre-paid orders over 50 lbs. This innovative idea was the basis for our modern-day Volume Discounts pricing.
1931
1931

 
See's Sunlit Candy Studio
Sunlit Candy Studio
 
Despite the tough economy, Charles See forged ahead with plans to debut "Mary See's Sunlit Candy Studio," a See's chocolate shop and kitchen where customers could watch through giant plate-glass windows as See's confections were created using state-of-the-art equipment. Hollywood celebrities and eager crowds converged on the studio for an open house on November 24th, 1931.
1936
1936

 
See's San Francisco storefront
Welcome to San Francisco
 
Though competitors were closing stores elsewhere, Charles sent his Sales Manager to San Francisco on a mission to open new shops, expanding See's operations outside Los Angeles for the first time. Within four years, there were 18 "Mary See's Dainty White Shops" all over the Bay Area.
1939
1939

 
See's at the San Francisco World Fair
San Francisco World's Fair
 
Visitors to the 1939 World's Fair were enthralled by an exhibit showcasing a See's Candies shop and miniature candy kitchen where people could watch candy makers hand-dip Scotch Kisses and Bon Bons. Thousands of visitors from across the country got their first taste of See's, and candy sales were phenomenal—helping the brand take off as a household name.
1940
1940

 
See's San Francisco candy kitchen
State-of-the-Art Candy Kitchen
 
See's opened an amazing 15,000 square-foot candy kitchen on the corner of Market and Valencia in San Francisco. Radio spots and newspaper ads invited the public to tour the building, taste the candy and enjoy up-to-the-minute amenities like air conditioning! Eight thousand people attended the grand opening.
1942
1942

 
See's WWII rationing
WWII Rationing
 
During the war, many raw ingredients such as butter, sugar and cream were rationed and in extremely short supply. There were heated discussions within the company as to how See's could stay in business without compromising on the quality of the recipes. In the end, they took a risk on a clever idea: using the best ingredients, but producing less candy. When a shop ran out after a few hours of sales, the shop closed for the day. The plan worked—customers were willing to wait in long lines to buy their candy from See's, knowing that the company had kept their promise of quality.
1949
1949

 
See's 15-foot Easter Bunny float in the 1949 Rose Bowl Parade
Laurance See & the Rose Bowl Parade
 
Laurance See was nine years old when his father founded See's Candies. After graduating from Stanford University, Laurance soon became See's General Manager. In 1949, following three years of military service overseas, he returned to succeed his father as President. Laurance ensured that See's jumped on the television bandwagon early; opportunities to be televised, such as the Rose Bowl Parade, brought See's into living rooms nationwide. See's first-ever float in the Rose Bowl Parade was a giant 15-foot Easter Bunny pulling a cart with revolving Easter egg wheels, and was televised on New Year's Day.

 
1951
1951

 
Chuck Huggins
Chuck Huggins Is Hired
 
Joining the company in April of 1951 was one of the luckiest days of his life, according to Chuck Huggins. In the following years, he learned "See's version of how to run a quality candy business" inside and out, accepting various challenges and responsibilities as the company grew. When the opportunity arose, he was asked to run See's Candies as CEO, though he preferred to think of himself as "Chief Candy Taster." He continued to lead the company for 34 years.
1952
1952

 
I Love Lucy "Job Switching" episode scene
Lucy Loves See's
 
Lucille Ball (Lucy) and Vivian Vance (Ethel) visited the See's candy kitchen on La Cienega Boulevard to learn all about dipping and packing chocolates. The result was the hilariously popular I Love Lucy "Job Switching" episode!
1959
1959

 
Guittard chocolate tanker truck
Trucks Full of Chocolate
 
See's was the first company to come up with the idea of having chocolate delivered by a tanker truck in liquid form—all melted and ready to use! Chocolate is still delivered to the See's kitchen in this way today.
1960
1960

 
See's Mail Order room in the 1960s
Growing Across California
 
By the end of the 1950s, See's had expanded to 124 shops in California, employing over 1,000 people. See's continued to expand over the next decade, including the development of a first-rate Mail Order department where candy was carefully packed and shipped out to customers. Little did they know back then—this was only the beginning of the company's delicious expansion!
1961
1961
First Shop Outside California
 
Laurance See figured that Phoenix might be the next region to experience a big population spike, and he was right. See's opened a shop in a mall in Phoenix—the first See's chocolate shop outside of California.
1972
1972

 
Warren Buffett's signature
Hello, Berkshire Hathaway!
 
See's Candies became part of the Berkshire Hathaway family in January 1972, when Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger purchased the company. To this day, See's is one of Warren's favorite businesses! In fact, he loves his See's Candies Peanut Brittle so much that he enjoys it in front of thousands of shareholders every year, while speaking at the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting.
1976
1976

 
See's first international shop
First International Shop
 
Firecrackers and a Chinese Lion Dance marked the grand opening of the first international See's Candies shop, located in the Ocean Terminal shopping plaza in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The shop is still open for business today.
1985
1985

 
See's open box of 1 lb Truffles
Time for Truffles!
 
In December of 1985, after many years of development, See's finally perfected the truffle recipe and began offering these silky-smooth confections in shops. Loyal See's truffle customers still can't get enough!
1995
1995

 
See's Candies online shop storefront
Online Shop Opens
 
See's launched a brand-new website featuring a full-service online store, allowing customers to shop from around the world. To this day, See's Candies fans can enjoy their favorite chocolates and candies delivered straight to their doorstep.
1996
1996

 
See's vintage delivery vehicle
75th Anniversary
 
To celebrate See's Candies' 75th anniversary, vintage delivery vehicles were displayed on a roadshow across California.
1998
1998

 
See's lollypop kitchen machinery
The Lollypop Guild
 
See's opened a kitchen at Rollins Road in Burlingame, CA, dedicated to making Lollypops and Little Pops®. From classic Butterscotch to seasonal Root Beer and Cinnamon, all of See's lollypop flavors are still produced in this unique candy kitchen.
2006
2006

 
Brad Kinstler
Brad Kinstler Becomes CEO
 
Brad Kinstler joined as President and CEO of See’s Candies after Chuck Huggins retired. A longtime member of the Berkshire Hathaway family, Brad served as President of Cypress Insurance Company and President and CEO of Fechheimer Brothers, Inc. before leading See’s Candies for 13 years until his retirement in 2019. Thanks to his vision and tireless dedication, See’s maintains its standing as one of the most beloved brands in America.
2012
2012

 
See's Guinness World Record lollypop
World's Largest Lollypop!
 
On July 18th, Guinness World Records declared See's chocolate lollypop the World's Largest. The giant confection, weighing over 7,000 pounds, was equal to 145,000 normal See's lollypops!
2014
2014

 
See's Candies article in America's Greatest Brands book
One of America's Greatest Brands!
 
In 2014, See's was named by Fortune as one of the 13 most American companies and included in vol. 11 of America's Greatest Brands, a prestigious list of companies that have earned the unwavering support of American consumers. See's core values of taste, quality, tradition and service were named as the basis of its success—values that were instilled by Mary See herself.
2017
2017

 
Happy See's employees
Top Place to Work
 
See's Candies was honored to rank highly on Indeed's list of the "Top 25 Best Places to Work" in the San Francisco Bay Area. Determined by the quality of star ratings left by reviewers, See's earned a spot in the top five among the very best Bay Area companies.
2019
2019

 
America's Best Customer Service in 2019
Rated #1 Retailer by Newsweek!
 
Newsweek conducted an extensive survey on America’s Best Customer Service, comparing brick and mortar retailers, online retailers, service providers like real estate, banking and travel, insurance, wellness and more. Happily, See’s Candies was rated #2 overall and #1 amongst all retailers—and by far the best chocolate company—for best customer service!
2019
2019

 
Pat Egan
Pat Egan Joins as CEO
 
Pat Egan became President and CEO of See’s Candies when Brad Kinstler retired. With a focus on exceptional customer service, Pat is moving See’s forward while maintaining the company’s sweet legacy. He has 12 years of experience with Berkshire Hathaway brands, including NV Energy and Pacific Power. A lifelong See’s fan, Pat looks forward to building on the tremendous brand of See’s Candies.
Today
Today
 

See's shop employees
See's Candies Today
 
For over 100 years, See's Candies has been dedicated to making candy Mary See's way—helping to make the world a sweeter place, one piece of candy at a time. See's has grown from one shop to over 240 shops across America, plus a flourishing online store, without ever compromising on the best tasting, highest quality candy around. In fact, many of Mary See's original candies are still made today: Peanut Brittle, Chocolate Walnut Fudge, Victoria Toffee, hand-dipped Bon Bons and Maple Walnut Creams.