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Barton's Candy Corporation

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Barton's Candy Corporation,[1] was a Chocolatier and candy company founded in 1940 by Stephen Klein[2][3] and his five[4] brothers a year after they arrived in the United States from Austria. Its original name was Barton's Bonbonnieres, and as of 1960 operated 3,000 stores across America.[1][5]

Few of their stores were in "specifically Jewish neighborhoods." All of their stores were closed on Saturday (Shomer Shabbos).[6] In 1981[7] a controlling share of Barton's was acquired by another firm.[8]

Altmann & Kühne outlet on the Graben, where Klein's family developed chocolate expertise. The facade was designed by Josef Hofmann.

In 2011, the entire company was purchased by Bazzini, an 1886-founded nut, fruit and chocolate company;[9] a 2022 Jerusalem Post item wrote of "the now gone Barton's confectioners."[10][11]

Centuries

[edit]

The Jewish Chronicle newspaper wrote about Barton's in 2021 and added that "Jewish entrepreneurs had been involved in the chocolate trade for centuries."[12] Klein's family developed some of its expertise in an Austrian company named Altmann & Kühne,[13] much of which relocated from pre-World War II Europe to the United States.[14] By 1952 they had seven stores in Detroit.[6]

Part of the company's 1950s[15] and 1960s[16][17] growth[3] was due to competitions in Jewish schools among classes, competing for prizes for selling the most Barton's products.[18] "Generations of Jewish children sold Barton's candies as fundraisers,"[19] which was in part fueled by Klein's involvement with "philanthropic activities ... promoting Orthodox Jewish education."[1]

It also helped that Barton's refused to water down the "mouth feel of chocolate" even as other companies were incorporating the use of synthetic ingredients in their products. [20]

Promotional Book of Esther scroll

[edit]

A cylinder containing a 4.5 inch scroll 1953-copyrighted Megillas Esther was distributed "throughout the 1950s and 60s with the same copyright date" with the container saying:

  • Book of Esther in English, Megilas Esther in Hebrew
  • Happy Purim
  • Barton’s Bonbonnieres.[21] The top of the cylinder had the words "Famous for Continental Chocolate."

Recall

[edit]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) praised the company's quick reaction in recalling about 4,000 two pound tins of fruitcakes when "a few samples" were found to have a problem; "most Barton's fruitcakes on the market were not contaminated."[22]

Kashrut

[edit]

While all Barton's products are kosher,[23] not all of them are kosher for passover: some of them have flour ingredients.[24] The Orthodox Union certification covers chocolate and candy items that are Pareve and dairy chocolate; they also supervise kosher-for-passover offerings.[25][26] A 2-part article noted that "even its Easter chocolates were kosher for Passover."[19]

The Atlantic magazine wrote in 2009 that Barton's initially "rejected OU certification" but yielded when faced with competition from Barricini.[27]

Corporation

[edit]

Former 2-term Congressman Herbert Tenzer was instrumental in helping the former Barton's Bonbonnieres expand,[6] and served as chairman of the board of directors for two decades.[28][29] Founder Stephen Klein's son George Klein became President/CEO in 1972.[30]

The company founders' real estate interests and community involvement led to the company's pair of large buildings benefitting the City of New York's attempts[31] to "emancipate Brooklyn from its commercial bondage to Manhattan."[32][33][34][35]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Stephan Klein, at 71; Helped Start Barton's, The Candy Company". The New York Times. December 18, 1978. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "Stephen Klein Dead at 71". JTA.org (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). December 19, 1978. Retrieved November 2, 2022. was buried today in Israel.
  3. ^ a b David C. Berliner (January 7, 1973). "Barton's Sweetens Downtown Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  4. ^ "Martin Klein Dead; A Barton's Founder". The New York Times. February 26, 1973. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  5. ^ Szogyi, Alex (December 30, 1997). Chocolate: Food for the Gods. Greenwood Press. p. 193]. ISBN 0-313-30506-4.
  6. ^ a b c Morris Freedman (March 1952). "From the American Scene: Orthodox Sweets for Heterodox New York". Commentary Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  7. ^ Shawn G. Kennedy (June 9, 1985). "Condos Plus". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "Barton's Candy". The New York Times. May 6, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Weisbrod, Bill. "New Law Forces Bazzini Nuts to PA – Bronx Times". Bronx Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Barry Newman (April 2, 2022). "A defense of a kitniyot-free Passover". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 2, 2022. the now gone Barton's confectioners (distributors of the 'Passover chocolate of choice').
  11. ^ Avigayil Perry (August 25, 2022). "The Story Of An Iconic Store". The Jewish Press. Retrieved November 2, 2022. 1970s and 80s .. Many businesses from these decades, .. Barton's .. no longer exist.
  12. ^ Michael Leventhal (November 26, 2021). "Chocolate guilt, chocolate Gelt". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  13. ^ "Kuhne, Hotel, Store and Apartment Properties". The New York Times. December 3, 1939.
  14. ^ "Altmann & Kuhne Open Novel Candy Store Here". The New York Times. December 12, 1939.
  15. ^ "WORKERS HONOR BARTON'S; Candy Company Gets Plaque for Harmony With Employes", The New York Times, June 20, 1951
  16. ^ "Barton's Candy Corp. Names Vice President", The New York Times, May 8, 1964, retrieved October 30, 2022
  17. ^ "Barton's Candy Studying Shift Of Stores to a Franchise Basis". The New York Times. April 17, 1962. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  18. ^ Joel Chasnoff (October 1, 2013). "Heckled By An Old Jewish Lady". JTA.org (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). Retrieved November 1, 2022. as a kid, I sold Barton's Candy door-to-door .. to raise money for my Jewish day school
  19. ^ a b Jeffrey Yoskowitz (April 8, 2009). "A Seder Different From All Other Seders". Atlantic magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  20. ^ Nadine Brozan (July 22, 1974). "Beating the High Cost of Cocoa Beans". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  21. ^ Tsadik Kaplan; Herman Lurie (August 12, 2022). "A Vintage Matzah Box & A Barton's Megillah". The Jewish Press. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  22. ^ "Fruitcakes Are Recalled Because a Few Are Unfit". The New York Times. December 23, 1971. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  23. ^ Leonard Sloane (May 18, 1975). "Calling It Kosher: How to and Why". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  24. ^ "Metropolitan Briefs". The New York Times. March 13, 1976. Retrieved November 2, 2022. bags of flour used by the company
  25. ^ "PUBLICATIONS THE OU-P WHAT'S NEW FOR '03?" (PDF).
  26. ^ Lisa Keys (April 17, 2016). "Go on, treat your Passover seder host. Here's how". JTA.org (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  27. ^ Jeffrey Yoskowitz (April 15, 2009). "The Kosher Chocolate Wars". Atlantic magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  28. ^ Wolfgang Saxon (March 25, 1993). "Herbert Tenzer, Ex-Congressman And Philanthropist, Is Dead at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  29. ^ By 1964, "Former" Chairman: Clarence Dean (October 12, 1964). "Businessman Seeks to Upset Aide to Carlino in 5th". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022. former board chairman of Barton's Candy Corporation
  30. ^ "Executive changes". The New York Times. February 23, 1972. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  31. ^ Robert E. Tomasson (June 17, 1973). "Brooklyn Renewal Slowly Advances". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  32. ^ Frank J. Prial (April 9, 1982). "Mall Stands Alone in Brooklyn 'Renaissance'". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  33. ^ Steven R. Weisman (April 25, 1971). "Brooklyn Renewal: Urban Cinderella?". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022. George and Stephen Klein ... The Kleins .. to develop the remaining corners of Fulton and Flatbush
  34. ^ David E. Shipler (April 9, 1972). "For Brooklyn Industry, a Mixed Report". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022. But I happen to think it is going to work.
  35. ^ "Renewal Project Nears Approval". The New York Times. July 16, 1970.
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