Detroit candy icon Sanders launches expansion

**kathy2trips** · October-21-09, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

Yeah, this whole trend is annoying. If they'd just bring back the original, unadulterated products, I wouldn't mind paying a little more for them. Sanders always had a high-quality reputation and the brand could build on that again.

Vernors, too. Get rid of the high-fructose corn syrup, bring back the stevia for sweetening, and infuse the pop with more natural ginger flavor like they did in the old days. Oh yeah, and add more carbonation so the fizz goes right up your nose when you open a bottle. Now that's how I remember the real Vernors!

Yes, the original 1866 Vernor's recipe did call for stevia. When stevia was stupidly outlawed, they changed to corn syrup. Never tasted quite the same after that. Now Canada Dry has a new advertising campaign about how gingery they are! Oh, please....!

Also, my grandmother worked in the Sanders factory making, mostly, doughnuts and baked goods. If I can find that photo, I'll upload it. It's from the 40s, I think. Would anyone know where that factory was located. [[We're from the east side and Nonna didn't drive, so it probably wasn't far.)

**detroitbred** · October-21-09, 01:40 PM

mtm..I live close to 6 and Newburgh [[ it wasn't Haggerty ) and worked for 11 years at the Minnersota / Hancock Fabrics store in the same center. We were all sad to see that Sanders close. I remember going in there the day the they got the news that they would be out of a job. The older ladies who had been there for many years were all crying....it broke my heart. Interestingly, when the WalMart store opened at Plymouth and Middlebelt where Wonderland used to be, I ran into one of those ladies working there as a greeter.

**Maxine1958** · October-21-09, 04:16 PM

Kathy2trips, the Sanders factory was on Oakman Blvd., but for the life of me I cannot remember the closest cross street. And I want to say the address was something like 1100 or some other '??00' number. I went there for all my testing and then again because they were considering hiring me for the office there. But my wonderful mother drove me both times, so I likely paid little attention to how we got there.

**Jman** · October-21-09, 05:03 PM

Between Hamilton and Linwood.

**d.mcc** · October-21-09, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Jman

Fred Sanders is spinning in his grave.

Is he buried in Ohio?

**kathy2trips** · October-26-09, 02:07 AM

I hope they strike an out-of-state distribution deal with Kroger's like they used to have. I can't eat any other hot fudge than Sanders. I can't afford to have it shipped cross-country all the time. Smuckers, Mrs. Richardson, etc. tastes like cr@p in comparison. Yes, I'm spoiled, dammmit! GIMME! Wahh!

**kathy2trips** · October-26-09, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by Maxine1958

Kathy2trips, the Sanders factory was on Oakman Blvd., but for the life of me I cannot remember the closest cross street. And I want to say the address was something like 1100 or some other '??00' number. I went there for all my testing and then again because they were considering hiring me for the office there. But my wonderful mother drove me both times, so I likely paid little attention to how we got there.

Yep! Thanks, Maxine! I gotta find that snapshot....!

**kathy2trips** · October-26-09, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by d.mcc

Is he buried in Ohio?

You know, I've been trying to find out about that for years. I know he was from Chicago and died in 1913. I didn't know this before, but there's a BOOK about Sanders! Has anyone read it? It might have that information in it.

BTW: The HP Sanders plant was at 100 Oakman and opened in 1941, as per the book [[which has great photos...click on the link above for a peek).

**GRALR** · October-26-09, 03:35 AM

we had CC Browns Hot fudge in LA. They stopped making it for years but was recently started. We just had Sanders and they are both on the same par! If you are on the west coast it might pay you to try it.

Lorax · October-26-09, 09:35 AM

Kathy, thanks for the shots from the book!

I'm the one who originally owned the great black & white photo of the Sanders store in Grosse Pointe, which I found in an estate sale circa 1984. I gave it to the then manager of the Grosse Pointe store, a lovely older lady, who's name I believe was Mary, but my memory could be off a little. She had it framed and hung up in the store. I guess it somehow made it into the book years later.

Having been raised in Grosse Pointe, the Sanders store was a nearly daily routine for us. The egg salad sandwich on white with chips and pickles served on avocado or white melamine plates, followed up by a hot fudge cream puff with bittersweet topping slow heated on a steam table.

The best!

**detroitbred** · October-26-09, 09:52 AM

Lorax, Their egg salad sandwiches [[ and bitterweeet topping ) were my all time favorites when I worked there, and still are. I make a great egg salad, based on theirs, but instead of sweet pickle on the side, add sweet relish to the salad itself. On white with chips as you said! Yum, My stomach is growling right now.

**Danny** · October-26-09, 09:54 AM

Come back to Downtown Detroit, Sanders.

**Maxine1958** · October-26-09, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by detroitbred

Lorax, Their egg salad sandwiches [[ and bitterweeet topping ) were my all time favorites when I worked there, and still are. I make a great egg salad, based on theirs, but instead of sweet pickle on the side, add sweet relish to the salad itself. On white with chips as you said! Yum, My stomach is growling right now.

I worked in the kitchen at the 7 & Mack store the last year I worked for Sanders. Another thing they [[I) added to the egg salad was a dry mustard. Mmmmmm

Also, they [[I) added just a little dill to the tuna salad. Not sure if that was part of the [[ahem) official recipe, but the customers seemed to like it.

And Kathy, you're absolutely correct. Once you've had the REAL Sanders Hot Fudge you cannot eat any other kind. The rest are like warmed up Hershey syrup. Yuck!

Okay, I guess I gotta make a stop on the way home. . . .

Lorax · October-26-09, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by detroitbred

Lorax, Their egg salad sandwiches [[ and bitterweeet topping ) were my all time favorites when I worked there, and still are. I make a great egg salad, based on theirs, but instead of sweet pickle on the side, add sweet relish to the salad itself. On white with chips as you said! Yum, My stomach is growling right now.

Food like this is what I was raised on, and still like it very much. Try getting such a super egg salad sandwich in Miami, you'll be very disappointed!

The bittersweet chocolate, without doubt, when slowly warmed during the day on a steam table is beyond da bomb!

I heat the bottle in water on the stove, and it's close to the same thing, just have to be careful not to crack the bottle!

**stromberg2** · October-27-09, 12:15 PM

I think a Sanders store in Merchant Lofts would be about perfect.

Stromberg2

**Bodybagging** · December-16-09, 06:03 PM

I remember a Sanders being down stairs at Downtown Hudsons, I believe? does this sound right?

**Kathleen** · December-16-09, 06:55 PM

Since both Sanders and Vernors have been mentioned in this thread, you might be interested in this upcoming event:

January Author Series
Detroit Historical Museum
Wednesday, January 13
6 p.m.

Join us for an evening of "sweet" memories with Keith Wunderlich, author of Vernor's Ginger Ale and Greg Tasker, author of Sanders Confectionery.

Tickets:
FREE - Detroit Historical Society members
$10 - Guests

To purchase tickets or reserve a spot online: http://www.olddetroitshop.com/ticketsales.html
or call [[313) 833-1801.

Often former Sanders employees and Vernors collectors show up to share their memories and their collections.

More DHS program and tour info at: http://www.detroithistorical.org/mai...ing/index.aspx

**DetroitPlanner** · December-16-09, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Bodybagging

I remember a Sanders being down stairs at Downtown Hudsons, I believe? does this sound right?

Nope sorry there was a Sander's across the street and a block South. Maybe you are thinking of the snack bar on the Mezzanine?

**Bodybagging** · December-17-09, 09:31 AM

Maybe thats it. When I was very young my grandmother would take me downtown and we would shop at Hudsons, I remember her always buying something from Sanders.

**jcole** · December-17-09, 09:52 AM

they probably carried Sander's candies at Hudson, like Marshall Fields carried Frango

**agirlintheD** · December-17-09, 10:00 AM

Was Christmas shopping at 12-Oaks last night and they have an entire Sanders store on the lower level near Nordstrom's. The place was hopping!!!

**danofcamden** · December-17-09, 10:14 AM

Not to stray too far off track but in reference to Kathleen's post. the RO Library has also had both the Sanders and Vernors evenings and have other Detroit history nights coming in the new year. These events are also free.
http://www.ropl.org/index.php?option...271&Itemid=251

**detroitbred** · December-17-09, 10:34 AM

When my sister and brother and I were little, our grandparents made us Easter Baskets, which always included a chocolate covered, marhsmallow birds nest thingy, with jelly beans in the center for the "eggs", from Sanders. Loved the chocolate marshmallow part, but hated the jelly beans [[ to this day ) and I would pick them off and give them to bro and sis. Seems like a thousand years ago...

**Jman** · December-17-09, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by detroitbred

When my sister and brother and I were little, our grandparents made us Easter Baskets, which always included a chocolate covered, marhsmallow birds nest thingy, with jelly beans in the center for the "eggs", from Sanders. Loved the chocolate marshmallow part, but hated the jelly beans [[ to this day ) and I would pick them off and give them to bro and sis. Seems like a thousand years ago...

Small world. I would also pick off the jelly beans and give them to my brother and sister.

**EastsideAl** · December-17-09, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Jman

Small world. I would also pick off the jelly beans and give them to my brother and sister.

And I was happy to get them from you... mmmm... jelly beans...

I think Hudson's carried Sanders products in their pantry store, which occupied the ground floor and maybe part of the basement on the Farmer St. side.