Frango

Frango is an American confectionery brand whose best-known product is a mint-flavored chocolate truffle or meltaway. The brand originated in Seattle in 1918, when Frederick & Nelson department store used the Frango name for a frozen dessert served in its Tea Room. The name was later extended to other desserts and beverages before becoming identified principally with chocolate candy. The decisive transformation occurred in the late 1920s. Frederick & Nelson candy-maker Ray Alden developed a chocolate mint meltaway recipe in 1927, using a blend of chocolate, peppermint oil and butter. After Marshall Field & Company acquired control of Frederick & Nelson in 1929, the Chicago retailer introduced its own interpretation of the candy. The Chicago version became closely connected with Marshall Field's flagship State Street store, where Frango chocolates were made in a dedicated candy kitchen for approximately seven decades. This created two regional traditions: a Pacific Northwest version that retained closer links to the Seattle recipe, and a Midwestern version associated with Marshall Field's. Frango's identity has therefore been shaped as much by retail history and regional memory as by the confection itself. The two versions developed different recipes, production arrangements and packaging. Midwest Frangos were traditionally presented in flat boxes with individual paper cups, while Northwest products were commonly sold as individually wrapped pieces in distinctive hexagonal boxes. Marshall Field's also expanded the line beyond the original mint flavor into other chocolate flavors, bars, cookies, coffee, cocoa, ice-cream toppings, liqueur products and related desserts. Ownership changes in the American department-store industry repeatedly altered the brand's production and distribution. The Marshall Field's candy kitchen closed in 1999 after production was transferred to Gertrude Hawk Chocolates in Pennsylvania. Marshall Field's and the Frango trademark were acquired by May Department Stores in 2004. When Federated Department Stores acquired May in 2005 and converted Marshall Field's stores to Macy's, the two regional branches were reunited under the Frango name. Macy's continued selling Midwest and Northwest variants through stores and online channels, while outsourcing much of the manufacturing. A Chicago production arrangement with Cupid Candies for one-pound boxes began in 2009, and Macy's also reopened a viewing kitchen at its State Street store for demonstrations and sampling. In early 2017, Garrett Popcorn Shops acquired rights to sell Frango associated with the Marshall Field's recipe. Garrett introduced the chocolates through selected Chicago-area boutiques and other locations, with production near Chicago. The cited reference also records that those observed Garrett locations later closed, while Macy's continued to sell its own version. As a result, Frango remains a confectionery brand with multiple retail and regional associations rather than a single uniform product line. Its positioning rests on mint chocolate, gift-box presentation, department-store heritage and Chicago and Pacific Northwest nostalgia.

Frango's documented origins date to 1918, when Seattle department store Frederick & Nelson used the name for a frozen dessert served in its Tea Room. Early versions reportedly included maple and orange flavors. The origin of the name is uncertain: explanations have connected it with Frederick & Nelson, the word "tango," or various employee-created expansions. A frequently repeated story links an earlier name to the Spanish Civil War and General Francisco Franco, but the cited historical record also indicates that Frederick & Nelson applied to register Frango as a trademark in June 1918, making the later name-change explanation doubtful. The brand moved from frozen desserts toward confectionery during the 1920s. By 1926, the dessert was described as having a flaky consistency, and the Frango name had been applied to ice-cream sodas, pies and milkshakes. In 1927, Ray Alden, who managed Frederick & Nelson's in-store candy operation, developed the mint meltaway that became the brand's signature product. The recipe used chocolate made from African and South American cocoa, Oregon peppermint oil and local butter. Marshall Field & Company took control of Frederick & Nelson in 1929. Seattle candy makers were brought to Chicago to introduce the product, after which Marshall Field's developed a Midwestern interpretation of the recipe. The original Pacific Northwest formula and the Chicago formula subsequently evolved separately. For roughly seventy years, the Chicago version was made in melting pots on the thirteenth floor of Marshall Field's State Street flagship. The product became a prominent Chicago gift and specialty-food item, while the Northwest version remained associated with Seattle and the former Frederick & Nelson retail network. Marshall Field's broadened the brand into multiple flavors and adjacent products, including chocolate bars, cookies, cocoa, coffee, toppings, liqueur products and desserts. Regional differences persisted in both taste and presentation. Midwest chocolates were generally boxed flat and placed in candy papers; Northwest pieces were individually wrapped and sold in hexagonal boxes. The department-store industry's consolidation disrupted the original retail structure. BATUS acquired Marshall Field's in 1982, and Frederick & Nelson was sold in 1986. Financial problems eventually forced Frederick & Nelson to close its stores in 1992. The Bon Marché, another Northwest department-store chain, was allowed to continue selling Frango under license. A former Frederick & Nelson candy maker established Seattle Gourmet Foods, which produced the candy using related equipment and methods. The Northwest business encountered a legal dispute after The Bon Marché ended Seattle Gourmet Foods' production contract in 2003. Seattle Gourmet responded by selling chocolates under Frederick & Nelson branding in packaging resembling the established format, while The Bon Marché sued and was itself countersued over the contract termination. The dispute was settled in 2004. The settlement gave The Bon Marché exclusive rights to the recipe, the hexagonal packaging and the Frederick & Nelson names. Following later department-store consolidation, Macy's sold the Northwest product in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, with Seattle Chocolates identified as a manufacturer. In Chicago, production moved away from the Marshall Field's store in 1999 because demand exceeded the capacity of the in-house facility. The decision caused substantial local criticism, including opposition from Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. Gertrude Hawk Chocolates became the principal outside producer. May Department Stores acquired Marshall Field's and the Frango trademark in 2004. Federated's acquisition of May in 2005 brought the trademark and Macy's Northwest operations under the same corporate system, allowing the Northwest product to return to the Frango name after a temporary period marketed as "Frederick & Nelson, the Original." Macy's later explored restoring Chicago production. In 2009, it announced that Cupid Candies, a Chicago confectioner, would produce one-pound boxes for local stores, while Gertrude Hawk continued making other Frango products. Macy's also reopened a viewing kitchen at its State Street location, where customers could observe enrobing demonstrations and sample the chocolates. In 2017, Garrett Popcorn Shops acquired rights to sell Frango associated with the Marshall Field's recipe. The company introduced products at selected Chicago-area sites, including locations connected with major tourist and retail destinations. The cited account states that these locations subsequently closed. Macy's nevertheless continued to sell its own Frango products through regional stores and online channels. The brand's history consequently reflects a continuing coexistence of recipe variants, licensed production, department-store distribution and attempts to preserve local identity.

• 2017

  Garrett Popcorn Shops obtains selling rights

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  Garrett Popcorn Shops acquired rights to sell a Frango product associated with the Marshall Field's recipe.

• 2009

  Chicago production and viewing kitchen return

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  Cupid Candies began making selected Chicago-area boxes, and Macy's reopened a State Street viewing kitchen.

• 2005

  Macy's restores the Frango name in the Northwest

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  Federated's acquisition of May removed the licensing conflict and allowed Macy's Northwest to resume using Frango.

• 2004

  May Department Stores acquires the trademark

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  May acquired Marshall Field's and the Frango trademark.

• 1999

  Marshall Field's in-store production ends

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  The State Street candy kitchen closed and Midwest production moved to Gertrude Hawk Chocolates.

• 1992

  Frederick & Nelson closes

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  The Seattle retailer ceased operations, after which The Bon Marché continued regional Frango distribution under license.

• 1929

  Marshall Field's introduces its Frango recipe

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  After acquiring Frederick & Nelson, Marshall Field's introduced a Chicago interpretation of the candy.

• 1927

  Mint meltaway developed

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  Ray Alden developed the mint chocolate meltaway that became Frango's signature confection.

• 1918

  Frango name used by Frederick & Nelson

  [1]Frangoen.wikipedia.org

  Frederick & Nelson in Seattle used Frango for a frozen dessert and filed a trademark application according to the cited historical account.

A heritage American confectionery brand positioned around mint chocolate meltaways, premium gift presentation and department-store nostalgia, with especially strong historical associations in Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.

• Chocolate truffles and meltaways · 1927

  Frango mint chocolates

  The signature product is a mint-flavored chocolate confection with a soft meltaway center. Regional recipes developed separately in Seattle and Chicago, and the pieces have appeared in both flat Midwest gift boxes and individually wrapped Northwest packaging.

• Assorted confectionery

  Frango assorted chocolates

  The brand expanded beyond the original mint flavor into assorted and seasonal chocolate varieties. These products were primarily sold as boxed gifts through department stores and later through online retail.

• Desserts and packaged foods

  Frango related foods

  Historical extensions included chocolate bars, cookies, cookie mixes, cocoa, coffee, ice-cream toppings, liqueur products, cheesecakes and other desserts. Availability has varied by retailer and region.

• 2017

  Transfer selling rights to Garrett Popcorn ShopsM&A

  Background

  Garrett Popcorn Shops sought to develop a Chicago retail presence around the Marshall Field's-associated Frango recipe.

  Action taken

  Garrett acquired rights to sell Frango and introduced the chocolates at selected Chicago-area locations.

  Aftermath

  The cited account reports that the observed Garrett locations later closed, while Macy's continued selling its own version.

  Source

• 2009

  Add Chicago-based production for selected boxesStrategy

  Background

  Local criticism had followed the transfer of production away from Chicago.

  Action taken

  Macy's contracted Cupid Candies to produce one-pound boxes for Chicago-area stores while retaining Gertrude Hawk for other products.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement restored some local production without moving the entire line back to Chicago.

  Source

• 2005

  Restore the Frango name to Macy's Northwest productsStrategy

  Background

  Macy's Northwest had temporarily used the name "Frederick & Nelson, the Original" after May Department Stores declined to renew its Frango trademark license.

  Action taken

  Following Federated's acquisition of May, Macy's Northwest resumed marketing the regional chocolates as Frango.

  Aftermath

  The Seattle and Chicago branches were reunited under the same trademark for the first time in roughly two decades.

  Source

• 1999

  Outsource Marshall Field's Frango productionStrategy

  Background

  The State Street candy kitchen could no longer adequately handle demand, according to the cited account.

  Action taken

  Production was transferred to Gertrude Hawk Chocolates in Pennsylvania and the in-store candy kitchen was closed.

  Aftermath

  The move provoked strong local criticism because it ended a long-standing Chicago production tradition.

  Source

1. 1Frangoen.wikipedia.org