One of the last Chicago family-owned candymakers preps for Valentine’s Day, and a sticky future ahead

On Valentine’s Day, soon after sunrise, you’ll find die-hard romantics lining up at Cupid Candies on the South Side of Chicago. Despite decades of change, one constant remains. They come, not in search of love, but chocolate, from hand-dipped strawberries, meltaways and the pecan caramel clusters formerly known as Turtles.

“Hundreds of people come,” said John Stefanos, 73, president of Cupid Candies, founded in 1936 by his late father, Polyhronis Stefanos.

Stefanos spoke at his kitchen storefront in the Gresham neighborhood. “They start at 7 a.m. and we go until whenever the last customer comes, usually 6 or 7 p.m.”

Cupid Candies is one of the last of the old-line, family-owned candy makers in Chicago, like Margie’s Candies on the North Side. Greek immigrants once made the city the candy capital of the country. Now Cupid is one of the first to forge into the future by making CBD chocolate. Although Stefanos’ health is challenged, he gets help from loyal, longtime employees, most of whom are Mexican immigrants carrying on the tradition.

Feb. 12, 13 and 14 are the three busiest days of the year for boxed chocolate makers like Cupid. “The best day of the week for Valentine’s to fall on is actually Friday,” said Stefanos. It does this year. “Then Saturdays and Sundays are for those who forgot and want to get out of the doghouse.”

Hazel Harris will be there to help you. “I’ve been working for Cupid for 31 years,” said Harris. “I run a little bit of everything around here. It’s pretty fun to have chocolate every day so that’s a good thing in life.”

She’ll recommend Turks, crisp pecan and soft caramel clusters dipped in milk chocolate, their most popular candy.

“We can’t call them Turtles because that’s the trademarked name of DeMet’s,” said Stefanos of the company founded in Chicago in 1898. “We make our caramel with real butter and real cream, rather than anything artificial.”

Two other Cupid Candies shops in the suburbs may be better known though as old-fashioned, ice-cream soda fountains. Oak Lawn opened in 1956, and Orland Park in 1993.

“Hot fudge sundaes or chocolate shakes and malts are the thing people go for,” said Monica Biliskov, who started at Oak Lawn, is now manager at Orland Park and has been with Cupid for 29 years.

“They’re good people to work for,” said Biliskov, who knew Stefanos’ parents too. “It’s nice to work for a family business.”

What you won’t find at Cupid stores are the CBD chocolates they make for the Elope brand based in Evanston. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a cannabis compound that does not get you high, but is instead consumed for anxiety or chronic pain. After years of resisting requests, Stefanos relented because of his relationship with the owner of Elope, he said.

“John is still talking about carrying them (at Cupid), but it would be highly monitored,” said Biliskov. The CBD double chocolate meltaways, three layered mints that look just like your grandmother’s favorite candy, are available online and at local retailers including Fresh Thyme. When Stefanos took over Cupid, he concentrated on wholesale candymaking over their own retail stores.

Speaking of iconic vintage candies, Cupid made Frango mints for Chicago area Macy’s stores, but just briefly. “We did them for about two years but we couldn’t be competitive with their price so they ended up doing everything out of Philadelphia,” said Stefanos. Cupid’s French mints are similar to Frangos, but better, he likes to say. He’s not wrong. Their distinctive cool herbal chocolate-enrobed bonbons are absolutely better. After tasting every Frango flavor available at the Macy’s State Street store, I discovered the Cupid French mints took me back to the chocolate I remembered made at Marshall Field’s.

Cupid also used to make dark chocolate mint melts and white chocolate pretzels for Crate & Barrel during the Christmas holiday season. “We used to sell 25,000 pounds for 25 years,” said Stefanos. “Then they changed buyers and you younger generation decided it was long enough.” About 100 customers still order those favorites directly from Cupid.

Guadalupe Barranco, originally from Mexico City, has been working at Cupid for 26 years. “I started packing up candy on the line,” said Barranco at the kitchen storefront. “A long time ago, John taught me everything I know here.”

Now she works in the store and makes candy, while translating for the predominantly Mexican women who are her kitchen coworkers. “I love my job,” said Barranco. “I love what I do. I love learning every day more and more.”

For Valentine’s the ladies will hand-dip 500 pounds of sweet, red strawberries in tempered milk chocolate. The holiday-only berries have to be done the same day they’re sold. That’s in addition to keeping up production on all the other chocolates and wrapping them in heart-shaped boxes. A regular buys three of the biggest six-pound hearts every year.

If that triggers your “I Love Lucy” candy factory anxiety, the pros feel differently. “It’s so fun!” said Barranco. “Right now, we wait for the day. We’re so excited.”

Cupid makes ice cream too with a famous frozen family connection. “My dad’s brother Leo owned Dove Candies,” said Stefanos. “My dad and Leo originally started with the ice cream bar in the mid-1930s,” he said. Dove Chocolate history states Leo created the Dove ice cream bar in 1956. Leo’s son Michael took over that family candy business in 1977. Mars bought Dove in 1986. “Our bar is still the same size as the original one,” said Stefanos. There are eight bars to a quart so they’re a pretty good size.”

Dan Coleman, firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department, picked up a dozen Cupid bars one recent freezing winter morning. “Mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip,” said Coleman.

“The guys who cooked long before me have always come here,” he said about former firehouse cooks. “I’m just carrying on the tradition.”

“We love coming here and we love keeping this place alive,” he said.

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During the historically busiest week of the year, Stefanos will be planning for the future with a cousin from Las Vegas. “We’ll be splitting up the business so the family traditions can stay on,” said Stefanos.

He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 23 years ago, on his 50th birthday. “I was a guinea pig down at Northwestern hospital where I was on chemo to slow down the progression, but became diabetic. I still cheat every once in a while, but watch my sugar intake.”

Stefanos and his wife, a retired schoolteacher, do not have children. “We haven’t decided on new roles for the business or titles yet. I’ll be here for at least three or four more years.”

“There won’t be any changes in the recipes, the candy or the way it’s made,” he said. “It’ll all be the same.”

On Valentine’s night, every Cupid employee, about 20 total in the kitchen and shops, men and women, can take home candy on the house, but most importantly, each receives flowers before leaving.

“Everybody gets a dozen roses,” said Stefanos, a die-hard romantic with love and chocolate, “to show my appreciation.”

7637 S. Western Ave., 773-925-8191; 4709 95th St., Oak Lawn, 708-423-2729; 9420 W. 143rd St., Orland Park, 708-403-3636