Thoughts Outside the Chocolate Box: A Conversation with Barry Shane, Former Owner of Shane Candies

by KJ Nelson

I met with Mr. Shane outside Franklin Fountain on a muggy Friday afternoon whilst savoring the establishment's raspberry sorbet. OCCA's editor, Janet, made the introductions-she inexplicably prefers Franklin's lemon sorbet. Go figure. With Janet's help, I intended to interview Mr. Shane and mine the wealth of his long years as a businessman in Old City and as a third-generation candy-maker. I had questions at the ready: How far has the district come? Where is it going? What businesses should it attract? What should the OCCA do to help businesses in the district? What advice would you give to other businesses?

Mr. Shane was not too interested in my personal agenda. Perhaps after so many years in business, my questions seemed head-in-the-clouds. In fact before I could ask the first one, he was off and running with a story about Coco, the Shane Company's CRCO (chief rodent control officer). After an early, forced retirement from the company, Coco was neutered. (By the way, Coco is a cat.) Coco's predecessor had a longer career until a disgruntled employee ratted on her. Seems the health department did not approve of cat's acting as CRCO's in chocolate factories. Instead of arresting the cat, the inspector fingered the head of the company. As penance for his crime, Mr. Shane had to do time in the classroom, studying for his food handler's license. During his 10 hours of incarceration, he learned the proper procedures for handling meat.

Somewhere near the end of this story, but before it segued into a diatribe against Carl-the evil health department inspector-Heidi, another former Shane Company employee happened by. She and Barry hugged and greeted each other like long lost relatives. She updated us on her kids and her employment status. He gave her praise and advice. It seems that Barry was famous for his kindness to Shane employees, as borne out by Heidi and others who worked long years for the company.

After Heidi finally left, I had my chance to interject my first question: Mr. Shane, how has the neighborhood changed since you took over the business from your father?

"That's an interesting question," Barry allowed, and began another story. He's a born storyteller and an entertaining one at that. Eventually he got around to answering me: Before 1990, his block at 110 Market was liked a "bombed-out Beirut." That's how the Inquirer quoted him back then. Then came HEMS, Historic East Market Street. Barry was the only businessmen on the committee when it first met in 1989. Other business types eventually came aboard, including Mr. Stockton Strawbridge, to whom we owe credit for the arrival of the statue of Chief Tamanend at the end of Market Street. (According to Mr. Shane, the statue does not draw enough tourists. I suggested we change May Day to St. Tammany Day, as it was formally celebrated in 1771. He concurred: "We need something historic at the end of Market Street to attract more tourists.")

"There used to be all kinds of people employed in Old City in wholesale and supply companies. Manufacturing, too. You should have seen it. The Continental Diner was jam-packed for lunch." The workers bought chocolate from Shane Candy to take home. The bosses bought chocolate as gifts for clients, customers and employees. The store had lines out the door. The new neighborhood of condos, apartments and restaurants has not been as beneficent to Shane Candy as in former days. Rather than campaign for a return of the Tastykake bakery and other former businesses, Barry brightened at my suggestion that we relocate a few center-city office buildings into Old City. "The tourists don't buy as much candy as the business people."

The company's other heyday predates Barry even further, when ferry passengers loitered about and bought treats from his grandfather and father. Before that, the Shane Company came into the world as a fruiterer and operated under a different name as a candy shop. (Stop by the store front and look at the old ventilation vents for the cellar. They're below the front windows where new curved glass will be installed. Fascinating to a history buff like myself.)

"I hope Franklin Fountain makes a fortune," Barry says, including Shane Candy under that umbrella. He is surprised at how well the Berley boys have done in attracting business. "I could never dress up in those outfits like they do. You should have seen Ryan on the corner of Second and Market when they first opened. He was wearing the strangest getup." He hopes that like Shane Candy's halcyon days, the brothers have lines out the door to both operations, though Barry admits that he is not so good with the queuing thing himself. "I'm too impatient to stand in line."

Mr. Shane has tried to relax and slow down since selling the candy factory to the Berley boys, but in my view, he is failing miserably. When pressed for his opinion at the close of our time together, Mr. Shane opined that "Old City is as good as it can be for now." What with the economy and the lack of historic attractions at the east terminus of Market.

If you have something historic that we could put there, please contact the OCCA at your earliest convenience.