February 28, 2025
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The Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company manufactured Sno-Caps, Raisinets and Goobers out of its Bridesburg factory. Nestlé and then Ferrero acquired the candies.
An upcoming episode of "The Food That Built America" will tell the sweet story of a Philadelphia candymaker.
The History Channel series will dive into movie theater concessions for its next installment, debuting Sunday at 9 p.m. and streaming on Hulu the following day. Much of the episode will focus on the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Co., the Philly brand that created Sno-Caps, Goobers and Raisinets. The confectioner, which entered a competitive scene in the early 1900s thanks to the nearby Hershey Company, gained a unique foothold in the market when it partnered with concessions pioneer (and fellow Philadelphian) Jacob Beresin to bring its products into movie theaters.
In its heyday, the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Co. operated a factory at 2201 Margaret St. Production continued at the Bridesburg plant even after the Blumenthals — Joseph, Abraham, Aaron, Jacob and Moses — sold the company in 1969. But when Nestlé acquired the brand in 1984, it moved operations out of Philadelphia and the factory closed. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. Ferrero took the reins of Nestlé's U.S. confectionary business, snapping up the Blumenthal Brothers candies in the process, in 2018.
"The Food That Built America" will trace the candymakers' early forays into cocoa powder and eventual dominance at the concession stand. Get a sneak peek in the clip below, shared exclusively with PhillyVoice:
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