1865 – Sara & Marcus Bitterman marry in St. Louis, MO and move to Kansas to start their new life. They open a mercantile to sell supplies to settlers headed west on the California and Oregon Trails. This is the first retail venture of what would become Bitterman Family Confections.

1936 - Bernard Bitterman, Marcus’ grandson, receives a salesman’s route of Penny Peanut machines from his brother-in-law Ben Harris, as payment for a loan during the Depression. The Harris family operated produce stalls at the City Market in Kansas City, and the penny peanut machines were very popular on the Kansas City streetcar routes. Peanuts cost 3 cents per pound, and were sold through the vending machines for a penny per handful.

1945 – The penny peanut machine business expands into Bitterman Vending, Candy & Nuts, with the company operating candy and nut vending machines throughout the city in grocery stores, barber shops, gas stations and corner markets.

1956 – Bernard’s son, Alan joins his father in the family business, and Bitterman & Son is established. The company’s business expands beyond Kansas City into markets throughout the United States, with vending machines prominently displayed in national grocery and discount store chains from Albuquerque to Minneapolis.

1970 – Alan’s wife, Marilyn enters the business world, opening Bitterman & Son’s first retail venture, a wholesale candy outlet filled with antique vending machines and fixtures. Bitterman’s first business relationship with Hallmark Cards, Inc. is established when bags of Bitterman candy is sold to the employee card shop at the company’s headquarters.

1975 – Bernard Bitterman passes away, leaving behind a legacy of core company values and devotion to family that is still the foundation of Bitterman Family Confections today. These principles continue to guide the company’s growth and daily activities.

1980’s – Alan and Marilyn’s children, Stuart and Leslie, join the family business, and expand the company’s outreach to potential customers through their presence at wholesale gift markets throughout the country. A turnkey approach to selling bulk candy is created, using reproductions of vintage candy cases to present the product at retail. The candy case program is extremely successful, and adds a touch of nostalgia and profitability to each participating retailer. As the company’s focus shifts, the decision is made to sell the vending portion of the business and focus on wholesale distribution of candy. Another key event during the 1980’s was the inclusion of Bitterman Family Confections into the Hallmark Plus program, a vendor recommendation service sponsored by Hallmark for their independently owned retail stores. This endorsement is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with Hallmark Cards.

1990’s – As wholesale customers look for more profitable product solutions for candy and confections, Bitterman Family Confections introduce POCKETSNACKS®, a full product offering of 6 oz. candy bags – featuring an extensive variety of candy favorites. These bags can also be customized with the customer’s name on the front label, and offer a wonderful product to market under their own store name. “Have a Sweet Day”® is also trademarked by Bitterman’s, creating a company slogan and motto for our daily operations and brand presence.

Today – Bitterman Family Confections continues to grow and thrive, offering an expansive product line of both seasonal and everyday candy merchandise. The company is proud to be the primary supplier of custom candy product programs for Hallmark Gold Crown stores, and work closely with their creative staff in developing unique, appealing candy and confections. Custom designed product solutions are sold to a variety of retailers throughout the country, such as Sur la Table, Crate and Barrel, Justice Just for Girls, and many others. In addition, Bitterman’s expanded Product Development staff has introduced exclusive candy items available only BFC, to rave reviews and tremendous sales results: Sour Gummy Flip Flops, trendy Text Tarts featuring fun text messages printed on every piece, and Gummy Princess Crowns, just to name a few. New and exciting products are on the horizon, and we look forward to working with our current and future customers everyday. Thank you for reviewing the history of Bitterman Family Confections - we appreciate your interest, and hope you “Have a Sweet Day”®!