Kehr’s Equipment Headed to Auction
Kitchen gear, from mixers to melters, is up for bid.
Kehr’s Candies at Milwaukee Public Market. Photo taken Feb. 19, 2024 by Sophie Bolich 2
Kehr’s Candies is closed and clearing out its Washington Park kitchen.
The shop, which shut down earlier this year, is auctioning off its remaining equipment, including commercial mixers, deep fryers, a chocolate melter and nearly 100 other items.
Badger Corporation is hosting the online auction, which began Aug. 4. Bidding will end Aug. 18 at 10:30 a.m., with viewing available Aug. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Checkout will take place Aug. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to industrial kitchen supplies, the online catalog lists cookware — some brand new — along with storage containers, coffee dispensers and miscellaneous items such as a nut butter grinder and a popcorn machine.
The full catalog is available to view online.
Kehr’s has served as a Milwaukee institution since its 1930 founding by Pearl and B.D. Kehr. The business initially focused on homemade caramel and potato chips, later expanding its offerings to include chocolate fudge and other candies.
The store had several short-lived locations before finding its longtime home at 3533 W. Lisbon Ave. in the 1950s. Kehr’s operated at the site until its closure. By that time, however, the location had transitioned from a public-facing shop to a production kitchen.
Bill Kehr took over the confectionery from his parents before passing it to its most recent owners, Katey and Paul Martinka, in 1995. The business continued using B.D. Kehr’s original recipes and many of the same tools — potentially including the antique Hobart mixer currently up for auction.
A longtime Milwaukee Public Market vendor, Kehr’s spent nearly two decades in a prime center stall before announcing plans to exit in early 2024. The business continued in an online format until Paul’s retirement, according to a notice posted on the shop’s website.
“After 42 years, Paul has retired,” the note says. “We have not found a replacement. Kehr’s is closed until we do.”
Kehr’s Kandy Kitchen Inc. owns the Lisbon Avenue building. City permit records do not indicate any current plans for the space.
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