Historic Colorado Ice Cream Shop Evolved into Iconic Candy Maker

Over the years, a variety of iconic brands with Colorado origins have become household names. Some of these brands include Coors beer, Otterbox, and yes, even Crocs.

Read More: Check out the Headquarters of Colorado’s OtterBox Company |

However, long before the plastic shoes were showing up at innumerable doormats, an ice cream shop in Golden, Colorado was experiencing poor sales and reacted by expanding into the candy market which would prove to be a move that would change the world.

Historic Colorado Ice Cream Shop Survives by Inventing the Jolly Rancher

If you're not familiar with the origins of the Jolly Rancher hard candy, it may come as a surprise to learn that the famous candy brand started in Colorado.

Dorothy and Bill Harmsen first opened up the Jolly Rancher Ice Cream Store in 1949 to modest beginnings. However, while ice cream proved to be a popular item during the summer months, the cold winter months nearly put the shop out of business.

It was at this point that the Harmsens expanded the store's offerings to include chocolates. This move was so successful that the business expanded to numerous locations and while the Harmsens eventually sold, they continued to supply the candy.

While the business was successful, it was the introduction of the Fire Stix that changed everything. The Fire Stix evolved into what we know as the Jolly Rancher candies we all know and love today and while the shop and subsequent factory no longer operate out of Colorado, the legacy of the Jolly Rancher is forever cemented in the state's history books.