Crown Candy Kitchen
Harry Karandzieff came to the United States from Macedonia in 1911. His American dream was a sweet one: With partner Pete Jugaloff, he transformed a vacant storefront at the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 14th into the Crown Candy Kitchen confectionery. To the delight of generations of St. Louisans, little has changed over the years. Tradition maintains the simple soda-fountain menu and the antique flavor board to this day, and customers continue to return for chocolate Easter monkeys and the chance to get their names engraved on a malt-drinking plaque by slurping five in 30 minutes. Crown Candy's history is documented in Virginia Publishing's recent book Sweetness Preserved: The Story of the Crown Candy Kitchen by Dr. John Oldani.