Kehr’s Candies Leaving Milwaukee Public Market
The candy store will pivot to online sales and pop-ups. Feb. 29 is final day of in-person business.
Site of Kehr’s Candies at Milwaukee Public Market. Photo taken Feb. 19, 2024 by Sophie Bolich 2
Kehr’s Candies made an announcement last Friday that was as bittersweet as its hand-dipped chocolates.
The confectionery will leave its longtime post at the Milwaukee Public Market at the end of the month, but will continue to offer its products for deliveries, curbside pickup and, eventually, pop-ups.
Owners Katey and Paul Martinka announced the news in a social media post, noting that the transition will allow them to step away from “the demands that come with a brick-and-mortar detail candy business.” The pair also shared their gratitude for the Milwaukee Public Market and the Historic Third Ward Association.
Kehr’s Candies joined the then-new Public Market in 2006, occupying a prime spot at the center of the bustling food hall, 400 N. Water St. The business’s history, however, stretches back much further. Pearl and B.D. Kehr first launched Kehr’s in 1930, offering homemade caramel corn and potato chips. They later expanded to sell chocolate fudge and other candies, slowly adding additional products as they acquired new recipes.
The store occupied several Milwaukee buildings before settling in at 3533 W. Lisbon Ave. in the mid-1950s. More than 75 years later, the space is still in use as a production kitchen for Kehr’s.
Paul joined the business at the age of 18, working as a stock boy under the Kehr’s son, Bill. After spending 12 years learning the ins and outs of the candy-making trade, Paul took over as owner in 1995. Today, Kehr’s chocolatiers continue to reference B.D. Kehr’s original recipes and use many of the same tools as the founder.
The Public Market shop offers a dizzying variety of chocolates, including truffles, barks, turtles and hand-dipped treats such as chocolate-covered Oreos, dried fruits and pretzels.
The store is also known for its seasonal chocolates molded into holiday-themed shapes like Easter bunnies, Christmas trees and Santa Clauses. Classic candies such as jellybeans and jawbreakers, as well as ice cream and other desserts, are also available.
Kehr’s Candies will continue to operate Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Public Market through the end of the month.
After Feb. 29, candies will be available to purchase online. Orders are currently paused, according to the Kehr’s Candies website, but are expected to resume in the near future.
The nonprofit market has not announced a replacement.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
