New Candy Store Opens in Bellefonte

Chuck Kormanski is hoping that his new store at 125 W. Bishop St. will prove to be a sweet treat for Bellefonte and the surrounding area.

Pappy Chuck’s Candy Shoppe, named for the way his grandchildren address him, opened April 2.

Newly painted and bright inside, the store is located in a former house. Early on opening day morning, three customers had already checked out the new candy store, which also will offer soft ice cream by late May. The store is next to the Waffle Shop, and features a colorful awning in front.

Asked why he wanted to open a candy store, Kormanski said, “Because there isn’t one in Bellefonte. And there isn’t a soft ice cream store either. What I bring to this place is a nostalgic feel with old-fashioned candies. It fits in with the Victorian Bellefonte style.”

Kormanski grew up in Hollidaysburg, where his parents still live. The newly minted candy store operator earned a degree in administrative management from Penn State, and has three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Kormanski loves Bellefonte and has a history there. He worked as a manager of a polyester plant in Lewistown for a year and a half, then spent six years as a manager at Wolf Furniture in Bellefonte. His 27 years as assistant general manager at Mattress World in Bellefonte, when it was a central distribution center, rounded out his work history. Setting his business in Bellefonte was the natural outcome of his years of working in the town, Kormanski said.

The chocolates in the store are from Asher’s Chocolate in Lewistown and his jelly beans, Jelly Bellies, come from a distribution center in Memphis, Tenn. The nostalgic candy, as Kormanski calls it, comes from Blair Candy Company in Altoona. Pappy Chuck’s also carries Harry Potter-themed candy treats.

When the soft serve ice cream part of the store opens in late May, Ritchey’s Dairy, in Martinsburg, will provide the cool summer treats.

Current hours for Pappy Chuck’s Candy Shoppe are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. In the summer, Kormanski plans to expand hours to be open evenings until 9 p.m. and from 2 to 9 p.m. on Sundays.