Food For Thought Uncategorized

Kimberly Blackwell Brings Sweets to the Square with Pendleton Candy Company

Step into a real-life candy land where the bold colors, friendly faces, and wall-to-wall candy instantly make you feel like a kid again. Pendleton Candy Company, located on the town square of Pendleton, instantly lifts your spirit and fuels feelings of nostalgia. Before even walking inside, you know it will be a fun experience. The outside, decorated with huge lollipops, a Jelly Belly man, and lots of seasonal décor, draws eyes and customers as it silently says, “Come in! We’re happy you’re here!” Inside, is a charming, delightfully fun candy store. The décor has a vintage feel, staff eagerly greet every customer, and the store is filled with endless candy and homemade fudge and cakes. It is both haven and heaven for sweets lovers. 

After two years in business, Pendleton Candy Company has made an impression locally and regionally. In 2023, its first year in business, Pendleton Candy Company won the SC Travel and Tourism Guide’s #1 Candy Store in SC award, followed in 2024 with Southern Living Magazine’s award for Best of the Southern Living States candy store. This award surprised Owner Kimberly Blackwell because she wasn’t sure how happy the Southern Living editor was when she visited the store. Says Blackwell, 

“We noticed a lady who came into the store several times and never seemed very happy, so we didn’t think she liked us. We had no idea who she was. We later found out she was one of the editors from Southern Living and was coming in to assess us for the award. The editors have to visit each store four times to ensure consistent service. We were shocked she picked us.”

Blackwell’s upbeat attitude makes it hard to imagine that she wouldn’t win any candy store award out there. The high energy atmosphere of Pendleton Candy Company reflects Blackwell’s personality. She grew up in Walhalla, moved to Pendleton in 2000, and graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Travel and Tourism. After working as a Wedding Planner at the Marriott Hotel in Greenville, Blackwell was offered a job in banking by the father of a wedding client.

“I planned a wedding for a bride whose father was an executive at Wachovia. When I called her dad for the follow-up survey, he said he was impressed with my organization and planning skills and asked if I was interested in working in banking. I took the opportunity and did several jobs in banking over the years,” says Blackwell. 

But Blackwell still had a passion for entrepreneurship and event planning. She briefly owned a candy store in Cashiers, NC and a restaurant in Walhalla. She continued to use her Travel and Tourism degree in banking by planning their corporate events. 

In 2020, Blackwell began doing mortgages but was forced to make a career pivot. 

“When the mortgage industry dried up in 2020, I needed to make a change. My banking contract said I could not have other employment, but I needed additional income. I went to an attorney, and he said that I could not work for someone else, but I could start a business and work for myself. So, I decided to start a business. I knew I didn’t want to own a restaurant because they’re a lot of work,” says Blackwell. 

Baking had always been a passion, and she was good at it. She recalls, 

“My college roommate brought me her grandmother’s recipes and wanted me to make them during exams. I made tons of baked goods and everyone on our floor loved them.” 

During her career transition, Blackwell’s daughter Claire, was twenty years old. She consulted with Claire on the kind of business to start. Together, they decided candy would be easy and fun. Blackwell’s intention was to open the business to meet more realtors then get back into the mortgage industry full-time once the market improved. But candy quickly became her focus. 

“We want to really work hard for a while and see what happens. Usually, January is terrible because everyone is on a diet, so we try to make cakes that aren’t as fattening and have healthier candy options like freeze-dried pickles, but this January was better. February is always good. We stay fully stocked all the way until Valentine’s Day, and then every man in town comes in the day of and buys everything out. Last year, we were here at 10pm still serving customers,” says Blackwell. 

Pendleton Candy Company, like any small business, is largely kept alive because of its dedicated staff. Blackwell’s daughter, Claire, and her best friend, Camille, manage the store and are the friendly faces you see any time you visit. Both graduated from Clemson University in 2024 and Blackwell credits them with the business’ success. 

“Your staff can make or break you. Claire and Camille are passionate about the store, and I don’t have to worry about them showing up or being on time.”

One thing all three ladies love collaborating on is the monthly changing of the store’s décor, essential to keeping customers coming back. Says Blackwell,

“We keep it fresh because candy isn’t a need like groceries, so we have to do something to keep drawing customers in. We have new themes each month and do the design and décor ourselves.”

With each monthly change, one thing stays the same—the hidden black cat. 

“We have a little black cat we hide each month, and kids get a big kick out of coming in to find the cat’s new hiding spot,” notes Blackwell. 

This spring, customers can expect a Willy Wonka theme, featuring a chocolate river, an 80s theme, and an I Love Lucy theme, focused on the classic episode where Lucy eats all the chocolates. 

Opening Pendleton Candy Company has afforded Blackwell the opportunity to observe how much people love the growing Pendleton community and the store has even been a sign to some that it’s time to come back. 

“Our candy distributor owns a billboard in Times Square, and last December, he decided to put Pendleton Candy Company on it. A customer came into the store and said that she lives in New York City, but her mother lives in Pendleton. She had not been home to see her mother in a while and when she saw our billboard, she took it as a sign to come see her mother, so she did,” recalls Blackwell. 

The vintage appeal of Pendleton Candy Company and its location on the town square, are making the store, and the town of Pendleton, a favorite of our growing population of people from all over the country. 

“We’ve had a lot of people moving here from California and they frequently comment on how much they like the feeling of being transported to a simpler time and place. It’s nice to see kids riding up on their bikes and families driving up on their golf cars. We love the small town feel and the loyal small-town support,” says Blackwell. 

Visit Pendleton Candy Company at 119 N Mechanic Street on the square in Pendleton. 

To learn more visit their Instagram page @pendletoncandycompany and find them on Facebook at Pendleton Candy Company. 

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