THE HISTORY OF O’SHEA’S CANDIES…..
Four Generations of Family Ownership- Since 1934
Our family business started in 1934 in the Walnut Grove area, and is still located at the same chocolate factory where we manufacture our chocolates today.
Thomas and Helen O’Shea began the business in 1934. Tom worked for Penn Traffic Kitchen, and one day he and his wife, Helen decided to start their own chocolate business. When the opportunity was right, they purchased property next to their home and built a small chocolate factory and penny candy store. It was a local tradition for many of the school kids to save up their pennies and stop in for a chocolate treat.
Helen O’Shea would take the trolley to downtown Johnstown and visit office buildings and hand out samples of their chocolates. She then went back the next day and picked up orders for the homemade chocolates. Soon the business began to grow.
In the 1960s, Bob O’Shea and his wife, Kay continued the family business as the second-generation owners. They opened up a second store in the Geistown shopping Center. Bob & Kay purchased Penn Traffic Candy in 1977, and expanded the line of chocolates to include, the famous coconut cream Penn pigs. They also purchased Kuhn Coffee company and its salted nuts business.
Store number three opened, when Russ and Karen (O’Shea) Brubaker took over operations of the business. They opened a store in Westmont where their line of chocolates is still growing out of the Westwood plaza. Here they serve the surrounding communities and this bedroom community with wide assortment of chocolates.
Russ & Karen started making their own cream and butter fudge in six different flavors. They have expanded their business beyond the borders of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They now ship their chocolates all over the United States with the development of an online store.
Karen Brubaker believes that love, experience, and a desire to keep the O’Shea’s name going will keep the business passing from generation to generation. Karen’s son Matt Brubaker and his wife Kristy recently joined the family business in 2015. They have recently relocated back to the area and joined the family business to ensure decades of continued growth of O’Shea’s Candies. Our family is passionate about chocolate and our quality and old -fashioned techniques are key to our success.
