Beyond the brittle: Uncle Tom’s celebrates 50 years

Jennifer Much

Contributor

March 5, 2024

ELLISON BAY — Door County’s Uncle Tom’s Candy Shop recently celebrated its 50th year in business, and its owners are commemorating the milestone with a nod to its history and long-stapled treats.

Well known throughout Wisconsin’s peninsula and beyond, Uncle Tom’s — located at 703 Europe Bay Road in Ellison Bay — has been producing confections for decades, getting its start in the early 1970s by Tom Collis Jr. — affectionately known as “Uncle Tom.”

The store is now owned by Ryan and Rebecca Mueller, and together, they said they hope to keep Uncle Tom’s memory alive and have exciting plans for the store’s future.

The next chapter
The Muellers said they purchased the shop in January 2022 shortly after moving to Door County from Milwaukee.

“We were looking for a change after experiencing COVID-19 in a large city,” Rebecca said.

When it came to learning to make candy, the Muellers said they were given a unique opportunity to fine tune their skills.

“The previous owners allowed us to move up to Door County and learn the recipes for months before we officially purchased the business,” Rebecca said.

Through lots of practice, she said they soon transitioned from city folk to confectioners.

“All of our recipes were acquired via Tom Collis, our founder, who we believe obtained the recipes from his grandparents more than 120 years ago,” she said.

The recipes, Rebecca said, aren’t the only vintage element to the small town business.

She said its building has deep roots to the area as well — located in the former Newport School House, which was built in 1918.

“The old Newport School House is the oldest such facility in northern Door County and housed students until the 1950s,” she said.

Rebecca said the building has retained a lot of character.

Ryan and Rebecca Mueller purchased the shop in January 2022 after moving to Door County from Milwaukee. Jennifer Much Photo

As patrons enter the shop, Rebecca said they are greeted by schoolhouse artifacts ranging from the mid-1900s to the early 1950s, which are placed along the stairwell.

Down the steps is the store and kitchen where she said she can often be found whipping up batches of Uncle Tom’s famous sweet and savory peanut brittle.

“Uncle Tom’s is a destination, not just a candy store,” she said. “Our building is rich in historic artifacts and old school — literally, tradition.”

Alongside running the business, the Muellers live on-site in the upper portion of the school house.

A tasty line of products
Rebecca said the shop is filled with a generous assortment of products — ranging from barks, brittles and even pancake mix.

The corner of the shop is lined with shelves with baskets of loose old-fashioned treats, like flavored candy sticks, candy buttons and individually wrapped varieties.

Though each customer that comes to Uncle Tom’s has their own favorites, Rebecca said the shop’s original classics are the best sellers.

“Our most popular products are our classic peanut brittle and a few different chocolate barks,” she said.

In addition to purchasing products in the store, Rebecca said customers can also order them online through Uncle Tom’s website (uncletomscandy.com).

During the holidays and over the summer, she said, are the busiest times for the store.

“In the busy season, we can easily go through 100 pounds of peanuts a week and more than 500 pounds of chocolate,” she said.

A dash of tradition and innovation
Just as it was done since the beginning of Uncle Tom’s Candy Shop, Rebecca said each product that is created in the kitchen is made through a lot of time, patience and stirring.

“We make everything by hand, from scratch on-site,” she said. “We are definitely a nostalgic trip into the past.”

Rebecca said customers can expect business to continue “the old-fashion way” for years to come — with a continued appreciation for tradition.

That being said, the Muellers said they are excited to grow the business as well — which includes taste testings and new product launches.

Rebecca Mueller said many of the Uncle Tom’s Candy Shop classics — such as brittle and chocolate — are the store’s best sellers. Jennifer Much Photo

“We added 10 new chocolate barks, brittles and caramels,” she said.

Ryan said new flavors such as dark espresso crunch, cappuccino, strawberries n’ cream, lemon heaven and s’mores are all new creations they have introduced and are returning this year.

“Apple cider caramels and harvest pumpkin brittle, too,” he said.

Rebecca said there have been purposeful changes made to the building as well — including significant upgrades to the entrance, and the remodeling of the exterior, while maintaining the building’s charm.

A charitable celebration
As the store celebrates its milestone anniversary, the Muellers said they are proud of the memories Uncle Tom’s has created for many already and are excited to help others create new ones.

“We are very excited to put on a number of special events in honor of our 50th,” she said.

Once such celebration, Ryan said, was the store’s recent fundraiser for the annual House of Hope foundation.

“It was a big success,” he said.

The Muellers donated a portion of sales over a two-day period to the foundation, and though official numbers have not yet come in, Ryan said it far exceeded $3,000.

Rebecca said the fundraiser brought in many new customers and returning ones as well.

“We have the privilege of meeting so many new people every day,” she said.

The success of the fundraiser, Rebecca said, is just the beginning for Uncle Tom’s — noting other changes are in the works, including potential expansion.

In the next five years, Ryan said they hope to see Uncle Tom’s grow beyond Door County.

“I see it all over the state and Midwest, including (in) big box stores — while always maintaining our original location,” he said.

In addition to the recipes and nostalgia, the Muellers said a vital ingredient to Uncle Tom’s success is the customer experience staff provides — something the couple said the store has always prided itself on.

Uncle Tom’s Candy Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The store is closed on Sunday and Monday.