Veteran owned business, Carolina Candy Company & Gifts, combines love of toffee and supporting small businesses

Carolina Candy Company & Gifts started out as just a candy shop known best for their toffee, but recently they decided to expand their business in an attempt to support other small businesses around the country.

When Charles and Kim Smith took over Carolina Candy Company in 2007 they sold only one flavor of toffee. Milk Chocolate Almond. The Smiths called it Tar Heel Toffee.

Soon after the bought the business they added new flavors of toffee, re-branded, and changed the packaging.

They added dark chocolate almond, dark chocolate pecan, and white chocolate macadamia nut to their toffee list.

(Milk chocolate almond toffee, dark chocolate almond toffee, chocolate covered peanut butter ball.)

The couple says dark chocolate pecan is probably the favorite among customers, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the options.

Until the pandemic hit, the Smiths would usually attend a number of trade shows around the country each year as a vendor. Obviously, this year has been a little different but it’s given them the opportunity to re-brand again, this time, adding gifts.

The couple has met a number of great small business owners from around the country over the years as they’ve been a part of trade shows, and they decided to start incorporating some of those other small business owners products into their own shop.

In addition to toffee, peanut butter balls, truffles, bark, etc., you can now find a number of other gift items in their shop such as Herb’s Honey, Gamms BBQ sauce, cheese straws, Bloody Mary mix, Truff hot sauce, and much more.

Each of these gift items comes from another small business either in North Carolina or somewhere else in the country.

The couple says it’s important to them to always support small businesses but especially now.

“These owners are giving everything they have into their business,” Charles said. “I mean it truly is the heart of America. You put everything you have into it. It’s hard work, financial risk. It’s very rewarding.”

The shop is located at 1045 S. Kerr Ave, Suite B in Wilmington.

For more information, check out their Facebook page by clicking here.

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Kristin Crawford

Kristin Crawford joined WECT as a Digital Video Content Producer in August 2016 after graduating from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She studied Communication Studies with a focus in TV Production and Media.