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This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.
80 years. It's an impressive amount of time, isn't it? Sconza Chocolates is celebrating their 80th anniversary, and as part of that I am sharing their story AND giving away some of their delicious candies! Writing this post and learning more about the Sconza family has me thinking about my family and what our legacy will be in 80 years. What lessons and traditions can I instill into my kids now? 80 years from now, will those live on in future generations? I'm inspired to set an example of working hard and following my dreams, just like the founder of Sconza Chocolates did for his family 80 years ago.
Vincenzo Sconza landed at Ellis Island as a 17-year-old, with $20 in his pocket and a dream of becoming a candymaker (he had learned the craft back in Italy). He made his way across America to the Bay Area and got a job at a pasta factory...but he never let go of his dream. He and his wife Maria started making candy in their kitchen as a way to supplement their income. By day, he would work at the factory, and by night he would test out new candy recipes at home. His peanut brittle made him the most popular man in the neighborhood, and word of mouth spread. Soon he and Maria were working every night and weekend to fill orders. By 1939, they had enough business that Vincenzo could quit his day job and open a storefront in Oakland. Sconza Candy was born!
Over the years, the company evolved and became one of the largest hard candy companies on the West Coast. In 1960, Vincenzo wanted to go back to Italy for a year, and convinced his son Jim to run Sconza Candy in his absence. He came back, but Jim stayed on, adding his inventive sweet tooth to the mix. Now, 80 years later, the company is in their third generation as a family-run business. They are still thriving, evolving, and just as passionate about creating delicious candy with the highest standards. An amazing legacy and a testament to Vincenzo!
Sconza sent me a variety pack of their chocolates to try, and I loved them all, but I was especially obsessed with the lemoncello chocolate almonds!! They are so delicious and unique: roasted almonds covered in white chocolate and lemon cream. YUM! I learned that Ron, the current president and grandson of Vincenzo, created that flavor in 2008 to honor his grandfather's Italian roots and celebrate his father's 50th wedding anniversary. What a cool story!
Needless to say, I'm inspired thinking about the legacy that Vincenzo created by pursuing his dream with tenacity and courage. It's amazing to see how that choice is still supporting and benefiting his family so many decades later. When I look at my own kids, I'm struck by the honor and responsibility I have as their mom. I want to set a good example and teach them to dream big and put in the work to make those dreams a reality. My dream may not be to start up a candy company, but I do have other ideas! It would be amazing to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren that still lasts 80 years from now. One thing I'm pretty sure I will pass on to them, for better or worse? A love for chocolate.
To celebrate Vincenzo's legacy and 80 years of business, Sconza Chocolates is giving away a variety pack ($50 value) like the one I received. You guys, these chocolates are all SOOO amazingly good! If you win, you have to tell me what you think, and which flavor is your favorite!
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post. You can also earn extra entries over on Instagram. Giveaway ends Thursday at midnight (Pacific time) and I'll announce the winner on Friday! Good luck, my fellow chocolate lovers!
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Oh wow this look fantastic. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I guess the ones that most gets my attention is lemoncello1
They have some really unique flavor combinations. I don't see any that I wouldn't love to try. In fact, they all look so good that I don't know which one I like most.
The chocolate cherries sound amazing!
Heading over to Instagram now (CEZO9)
Thank you for introducing me to these candies- they look great! I like hearing about family companies and their success stories.