Sunday, November 2, 2008 12:39 AM CDT
Greenup's Candy Kitchen gives a taste of times gone by
By DAWN JAMES, Features Writer
djames@jg-tc.com
For those with a longing for days gone by, The Candy Kitchen in Greenup is the place to go.
With the right timing, the sweet scent of homemade waffle cones and handmade chocolates, or listening to ’50s rock, creates a nostalgic reflection of the 1950s era unlike anything around.
“It’s one of the only places in the area that you can still get an old-fashioned phosphate,” said Roger Anderson of the Cumberland County Historical Society. “People just love the Candy Kitchen. It’s a throwback to old times.”
With its history dating back as early as 1924, the Candy Kitchen re-opened its doors Aug. 14. Currently, the ice cream/candy shop and restaurant is managed by Tina Swim; her sister-in-law, Tracy Grissom; and Tina’s mother, Pat Grissom.
The business had been closed since 2005 after being renovated and re-opened in 2002.
Originally owned by Greek immigrants Tom, Lil and Sam Loomis, the Loomis family returned to Greece in 1960 and left nearly everything inside the building and some items at their home on Main Street a block away, Swim said. Still, many of the original materials stood the test of time in the two locations for nearly 40 years.
Pat Grissom said there were a few problems with theft over the years with people breaking in, but for the most part everything was still there.
As in the past, old-fashioned sodas, hand-dipped ice cream, homemade waffle cones, hand-dipped shakes and malts, and a variety of handmade candies take today’s customer back nearly half a century to when times were simpler.
The shop offers an expanded menu, and the most popular items are the breaded and grilled tenderloins and their hamburgers, Tracy Grissom said.
Fried bologna is one staple item that was on the original menu and is on today’s as well, Pat Grissom said. In addition, a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich is on the menu for the kids, Tracy Grissom said.
“I think our emphasis is on the candies and ice cream,” she said. “It’s the only one (soda fountain/confectionary) left on the old road (Cumberland State Road, Route 40).”
A home-cooked daily special is cooked by Pat Grissom. She has more than 40 years of cooking experience, as she has provided home-cooked meals for their employees at their business, Grissom’s Lost Creek Orchard, located on Illinois Route 130.
“We’re pretty proud that we make our own products,” Swim said, adding that making the candies is time consuming, but the end result is well worth it.
The Candy Kitchen is on the National Road (U.S. Route 40) and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Being on the register is important to preserve the past, Swim said. “I think it’s just as important to be on the National Road. People seem to be interested in that type of thing more than ever; get back to your roots.”
A lot of people travel the road for area attractions, including the nearby covered bridge, orchard, winery, the Greenup Depot, antique shops and quilt shops.
The business’ soda fountain has become an item to bridge the generation gap.
“It’s still a working soda fountain,” Pat Grissom said. “It’s actually hard to repair because nobody knows how to do it.”
“It’s neat to see grandparents bring in their grandkids and explain to them how sodas used to be made,” Swim added. “All they know is pop out of a can, so they are kind of amazed.”
The three said they wanted to re-open the historical landmark for many reasons: for the nostalgia of it and to start a family business, Tracy Grissom said. They also thought the business could help the village of Greenup.
“We have a lot of empty buildings, as all small towns do,” Pat Grissom said. “We’re coming back.”
Anderson agreed, saying that the re-opening of the store has been a boost to the local community, which has seen 10 businesses fail within a space of about two years since the Candy Kitchen closed.
“The building is the heart of Greenup. It had brought a lot of tourism to town.
“The food is great, and the ice cream is superb,” Anderson said.
Swim said she is excited about the business because “everybody likes ice cream and candy. There are smiles on their faces. It’s a happy place.”
“I helped restore it from the original. My mom said Sam (Loomis) would be proud, so that made me feel good,” she added.
Plaques on the wall of the business are true to the time period, as is a jukebox and an antique gas pump.
Anderson said that if you know where to look, an original writing can be found on one of the mirrors, with ice cream prices of 50 years ago.
It’s been a long road to bring the business where it is today. In 1998, during reconstruction efforts, the building was blown down by extreme winds and had to be rebuilt, Tracy Grissom said.
All the inventory was safely secured in a building across the street, which is now known as Reese’s Auto Body, Swim said.
The architect literally rebuilt the building by using photographs of the old shop. “That’s all they had to go on,” Pat Grissom said.
Growing up, Swim said her mother spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and going on dates with husband Gary at the shop. They still have an unopened bottle of wine that was given to them by Sam Loomis as their wedding gift, she said.
The Candy Kitchen attracts many travelers from the interstate and from its location on the National Road. “People in the large cities really appreciate it,” Pat Grissom said. “For the townspeople, it’s been here forever.”
With all of its historical flavor, the Candy Kitchen has much to offer. “If they love antiques, they’ll love it,” she said.
Contact Dawn James at djames@jg-tc.com or 238-6866.
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