About Us

Hazleton, Pennsylvania  ·  Est. 1934

Chocolate worthy
of her name

One family. One copper kettle. The same handwritten recipes, faithfully followed for more than ninety years.

Our Story

Our Story

It began with a copper kettle

Before there was a storefront, there was a young chocolatier, a hometown, and a promise.

After years perfecting his craft in the fine chocolate houses of New York and Philadelphia, George Esposito came home to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to marry his sweetheart, Victoria. With a single stove and one copper kettle, he began making candy for friends and colleagues — and word traveled fast.

By 1934, demand had outgrown his kitchen. George opened a storefront and named it for the woman who inspired it all: Victoria's Home Made Candies. A decade later, the business moved to a larger factory at 51 N. Laurel Street — its home for the next seven decades, until continued growth carried the family to 29 N. Conahan Drive in 2018, where every piece is made today.

When George passed away suddenly in 1956, his five brothers and two sisters carried the craft forward, guarding his original recipes and techniques. His nephew Paul joined in 1969, purchased the business from his aunts, uncles, and father in 1979, and became its longest-serving owner. In 2014, his son Paul Jr. bought the business from his father — and has run it ever since with his wife, Lynne, and their family.

Jack, Carmen, and founder George Esposito at Victoria's Candies in 1954
Jack, Carmen & founder George Esposito — 1954
“Real butter. Real cream. No shortcuts. That has been the whole secret since 1934.” The Esposito Family

Heritage

Nine decades in the making

  1. 1934

    A store named for love

    George's chocolates become so beloved that he opens a storefront, naming it after his wife: Victoria's Home Made Candies.

  2. 1944

    The Laurel Street factory

    Growing demand calls for a true factory. The business moves to 51 N. Laurel Street, its home for the next six decades.

  3. 1956

    The brothers carry on

    After George's sudden passing, his five brothers and two sisters take the helm, preserving his recipes and techniques exactly as he created them.

  4. 1969

    A new generation arrives

    George's nephew, Paul Esposito, joins the family business and learns the craft from the men who learned it from George.

  5. 1979

    Paul takes the reins

    Paul purchases the business from his aunts, uncles, and father, beginning the longest stewardship in the company's history.

  6. 2014

    The next generation

    Paul Jr. purchases the business from his father, keeping Victoria's in Esposito hands for a fourth generation.

  7. 2018

    A larger home

    Continued growth calls for more room once again. The factory moves from Laurel Street to 29 N. Conahan Drive — where every piece is made today.

  8. Today

    A family affair

    Paul Jr., his wife Lynne, their sons Angelo and Giovanni, and daughter Alicia proudly craft every piece with the same recipes the Espositos have trusted for over ninety years.

The Craft

What sets Victoria's apart

Famous for butter creams — cooked creams made with real butter and real cream — Victoria's has earned its reputation as the finest candy maker in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Handcrafted

Every piece is made by hand at 29 N. Conahan Drive — the way George made them, one batch at a time.

Family-owned since 1934

Founded by George Esposito and led today by Paul Jr., Lynne, and their family — four generations of candy making.

Real butter & cream

Our famous cooked butter creams use real butter and real cream — never shortcuts, never substitutes.

Time-honored technique

The same methods George developed in 1934, passed hand to hand through the generations.

The original recipes

George's recipe book has never been rewritten. What made Victoria's famous then makes it famous now.

A trusted reputation

Known throughout the candy community for the highest-quality chocolates and the most reliable service.

Why Victoria's

Some things never change

And the secret is out — beyond our own counters, Victoria's wholesales to chocolate companies and stores nationwide, largely up and down the East Coast. When other candy makers want it done right, they come to Hazleton.

1934Founded by George Esposito
4Generations of candy making
90+Years of original recipes
3Stores across Northeastern PA

Famous for Butter Creams

Taste the Tradition

Ninety years of craft, delivered to your door

Every box is packed at 29 N. Conahan Drive with the same care George would recognize. Choose your favorites, or let us choose for you.