Grandpa Frank's Candy Crafts Sweet Treats Inspired By Sweeter Memories

WHEATON, IL — Growing up, Mark Bridges used to spend a couple weeks with his grandparents each summer. It was his Grandpa Frank who taught him how to drive, how to fish and a number of "life lessons," Bridges told Patch. Most importantly, though, Grandpa Frank —who as worked a health professor and lived to be 95 years old— taught Mark how to make candy.

For the past two years, Mark has been using his grandfather's caramel recipe to craft goodies for Grandpa Frank's Candy, the business inspired by his beloved grandfather. The sweet shop has had an online presence, but will be doling out samples and selling its signature goodies in person at the Wheaton Winter Market through April.

Before he was immortalized for his caramel-crafting prowess, Grandpa Frank was a Hall of Fame running back for Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he played both offense and defense, Bridges said.

Frank went on to become the athletic director and head football coach at Carbondale Community High School. Under Frank's guidance in 1937, Carbondale Community High School emerged undefeated and unscored upon, having set the state scoring record as well.

For years, Grandpa Frank would host dinner with that team and continued to receive handwritten notes of gratitude and affection from those former students.

It was just another way Frank left an indelible mark on those around him.

Mark told Patch he feels closer to his grandfather the more involved he gets in Grandpa Frank's Candy. Just as Frank did for decades, Mark's been making the caramels for 30 years and serving them up to friends and family for the holidays.

Then, one day, he decided to leave his career as a consultant and make candy-making his way of life.

“I had a hard time finding caramels that I liked as much" as Grandpa Frank's, Mark explained. He describes them as "soft, not sticky... buttery and very flavorful." The caramels at Grandpa Frank's Candy are made in small batches, without preservatives, and cut by hand.

The result is a treat that goes over great whether or not you're typically a fan of caramel, he said. "They're so different than what people think of caramel."

Grandpa Frank's original recipe included pecans, so Bridges offers a pecan option, in addition to a coffee-infused caramel that's made with coffee from another Wheaton shop: I Have a Bean. The coffee caramel was perfected in just one try, he explained. He said that candy is a big hit with people who love the smell of coffee, but dislike the effects of caffeine.

Bridges said the Wheaton Winter Market has been a great opportunity to introduce Grandpa Frank's Candy to shoppers who might not have bought it online. This way, Frank's candy, and the sweet memories it inspired for Bridges, can keep inspiring sweet memories for a whole new generation of children.

To get a taste of Grandpa Frank's Candy, head to the Wheaton Winter Market at 31 Town Square Wheaton through April. The shop is open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.