People who come to Estes Park marvel at the sights they see... Longs Peak on the horizon... the Stanley Hotel above town... herds of elk just about everywhere.
And on Elkhorn Avenue in the heart of downtown, curious onlookers gather on the sidewalk to watch the hypnotic movements of the mechanical taffy puller in the window of The Taffy Shop.
Now, more people are checking out the iconic shop after it was named Best Candy Store in the country by USA Today in June.
The independent, family-owned store has essentially made one type of candy since it opened in 1935. The original saltwater taffy recipe is a closely guarded secret -- and is still used today, said Mark Igel, who bought the business in 2014 from the original owners.
“It’s funny, because my first impression was, how can there be a saltwater taffy shop in a Colorado mountain town?” Igel recalled about his first visit to the store as a customer. “Until you know what saltwater taffy really is, and that we can have the best saltwater taffy in the country, here in Colorado. It’s not salt or water, it's not the ocean; it's the way that you make the candy.”
Fans over the years have shared favorite memories on the store’s Facebook page, something Igel clearly treasures.
“The thing that’s most impressive are the people who have visited here as a tradition with their families have created memories – things you don’t get from just buying knickknacks or a T-shirt,” Igel said. “People come in expecting what they remember, and when we’re able to deliver that memory... they connect to it.”
Mark Igel joined host Erin O’Toole to share more about what it's been like to be recognized nationally... and why tradition is such an important ingredient in everything they do.
We mention The Taffy Shop’s online taffy cam at the end of the episode – you can find that soothing livestream here.
