Cummings still providing candy, coffee more than 100 years later
Whether you've got a sweet tooth or are in need of a caffeine fix, Cummings Candy & Coffee is a Butler tradition that has great treats for you: designer coffee, handmade chocolate and baked goods and even frozen treats.
But chocolate is where it all started more than a century ago. And what sets Cummings' chocolate apart is its dedication to handcrafting its sweets, said owner Barry Cummings.
The business tempers all of its chocolate by hand — a delicate and time-consuming process that takes skill and practice to master. The process involves a slab of marble and a practiced touch to determine the proper temperature.
Properly tempered chocolate will have a glossy sheen on the outside and no discoloration or white blooms in its body. It will also have a pleasant “snappable” quality when its broken in the hand.
To ensure its quality, Cummings makes relatively small batches of 30 to 40 pounds during high-demand months like March and April for Easter, which meets customer needs but also allows the business to avoid using automated tempering machines — something Cummings said he does not favor.
The confectioners hand-dip store-roasted nuts and fruits in their chocolate, and they make peanut brittle during the cooler months.
Cummings also uses heirloom, German-made chocolate molds to create its signature products, from its iconic, two-pound chocolate rabbits, which are a favorite around Easter, to boy and girl figurines and about 20 other molds that Cummings said have been in his family for generations.
“They're probably museum pieces, but we still use them today,” he said.
But while the business' family tradition and community roots are strong — and more than 100 years old — Cummings said 2015 and this year have been all about bringing new items into its repertoire.
“This year was huge,” said Cummings.
The business is a tradition that has been around under various names for more than 110 years. On its website, Cummings calls itself “the oldest family-run business in the city of Butler.”
The business has its beginnings in the early 1900s. Pete Cummings, who made his way to Butler from Sparta, Greece, founded the company in 1905 under the name Cummings Confectioners. A few years later, Pete's brother, Bill, came to America and joined the business.
Sometime around 1915 the brothers changed the company's name to Cummings Candy, and it moved to its current location at 146 N. Main St. Pete and Bill Cummings would spend decades making candy until Bill's son, Thomas, took over following World War II.
Thomas, known as “The Candy Man,” would himself spend decades hand-tempering chocolate and creating other treats until his son, Barry, joined Cummings in 1995 with an idea.
Cummings shouldn't deal just in the sweet stuff, Barry Cummings said. He proposed adding coffee and espresso options to the shop. But the task wouldn't be small or easy.
Cummings, who had just returned from a trip in Italy, where he fell in love with the country's rich, widely-available espresso, wanted to focus on local ingredients and homemade products as much as possible. His plan included rewiring the shop to allow for the installation of a coffee roaster and espresso machine and restoring the shop's antique soda fountain to working condition.
Somewhat to his surprise, his father said yes. And just like that, Cummings Candy & Coffee was born.
Barry Cummings credits the growth to a combination of perfect timing, inspiration and two ingredients — coffee and candy — that compliment each other perfectly.
“Chocolate and coffee totally go together,” he said. “A storm just kind of occurred to make that (expansion) possible.”To make sure Cummings offers high-quality coffee and espresso, Cummings insists the business roast its own beans.Until late last month, that was a small-batch process that was limited to a half-pound-per-batch maximum. But that all changed with the installation of a larger electric coffee roaster that will allow the business to prepare four-pound batches of roasted beans and roast four batches per hour.Cummings said the business plans to dedicate one day each week to roasting its own coffee beans to meet customer demand for its wide variety of coffee-based products.Today, the business offers coffee lovers everything from home-roasted, whole bean coffee to specialty lattes, espresso and frozen coffee. Cummings said the business is also working with Reclamation Brewing Co. to create a coffee-based beer and partners with Rachel's Roadhouse, where its coffee and homemade whipped cream are available.He called building partnerships with other businesses in the area his favorite part of running Cummings Candy & Coffee.“The biggest high I get from this ... is working with other businesses and making new relationships and friendships,” he said.That's led the business to expand its coffee sales from retail to wholesale, though Cummings said that's a relatively recent development.The push to collaborate with other businesses hasn't stopped with just coffee, either. He's is working with Deer Creek Winery to develop chocolate and wine pairings, as well as off-beat candy accessories like chocolate-covered cabernet grapes.Cummings' vision for the family business is one of versatility, growth and community. The two centerpieces, at least in the near future, will be a new bakery and coffee shop under development on Route 68 in Connoquenessing Township and a mobile coffee catering business Cummings plans to outfit with an espresso machine and market to events in and around Butler.He said the business has already been invited to participate in the city's ice sculpting event next year.When it comes to Cummings' new bakery — which will focus on products such as pies, cakes and cheesecakes — Barry envisions a space where residents come to learn and connect with each other. He wants to host live entertainment at night in what will be a 1,250-square-foot building, as well as speakers and other community events.“What I want this business to do is build the community up,” Cummings said. “It's (the bakery) going to be a forum to build the community.”The business hasn't set a date for opening the bakery, but Cummings said he expects the location to open in April.
