Pittsburgh Then and Now: Candy-Rama

At the height of its five-decade run, the family-owned business operated three stores Downtown.
Richard Cook,


COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS | Pittsburgh City Photographer Collection
 

For 55 years, Candy-Rama was go-to place for sweet treats Downtown. At one point, there were three stores — one on Liberty Avenue, one on Wood Street and one (pictured) on Fifth Avenue. ​The latter was the last to close in 2007 to make way for the redevelopment of the former G.C. Murphy store and surrounding buildings.

At the time, owner Debbie Tedesco said the store was facing a five-fold increase in rent, which was too much in the face of growing competition from Wal-Mart and other stores for candy customers.
 


PHOTO BY CORTNEY PEASLEY
 

Pittsburgh Then & Now is a yearlong series in celebration of Pittsburgh Magazine's 50th anniversary where we explore the changes that have happened across the region from 1969 until present-day. Read more Then & Now stories here.

This article appears in the January 2019 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine.
Categories: Then/Now