Malley’s Chocolates is a family chocolate-making business founded by Albert “Mike” Malley in 1935, when he opened its first storefront in Lakewood, Ohio. Now led by members of the third generation of the Malley family, the company operates a modern chocolate-making factory at its five-acre, 60,000-square-foot Brookpark Road headquarters in southwest Cleveland and 18 retail stores across Northeast Ohio. Its long-running chocolate-making tradition also includes ice cream parlors at three locations.
Mitchell's Fine ChocolatesSince 1939, Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates has been making handmade European-style chocolates in Cleveland Heights, including the housemade marshmallows that helped put the shop on the map. What began as a neighborhood soda fountain and sweet shop serving the adjacent Heights Arts Theatre became a third-generation business, now led by Jason and Emily Hallaman, preserving the Mitchell family’s recipes and traditions in small batches.CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH
Anthony-Thomas ChocolatesSince 1952, Columbus-based Anthony-Thomas Chocolates has made buckeyes and assorted milk and dark chocolates, building a local candy tradition around its signature confections. The family-owned business draws on five generations of experience and produces its chocolates in a 175,000-square-foot factory, where eleven lines make 30,000 pounds per shift. Anthony-Thomas also offers personalized candy bars and event boxes for weddings, parties, and businesses.COLUMBUS, OH
Marie’s CandiesBorn from homemade gifts made by Winfred and Marie King in their Ohio country kitchen, Marie’s Candies has been making small-batch chocolates since opening in 1956. Now third-generation owned by siblings Shannon and Rebecca, the West Liberty confectioner carries that family tradition from a restored train depot that serves as its retail space. Its best-known offerings include customizable chocolate assortments and distinctive treats such as Tur’Kins, a turtle-style candy.WEST LIBERTY, OH
Aglamesis Brothers IncSince Thomas and Nicholas Aglamesis opened their first Cincinnati ice-cream parlor in 1908, Aglamesis Brothers Inc. has made ice cream and chocolates using Old World recipes and traditional confectionery methods. Now operated by the third and fourth generations of the family, the company continues that Cincinnati tradition from parlors including its Oakley location, which retains much of its original early-20th-century design.CINCINNATI, OH