History Class: Space Needle Style!
George Kane when he returned from the war.
From Humble Beginnings:
In 1945, George Kane returned from fighting Japan in World War Two as a marine, and decided to begin a small convenience store and gas station in his hometown of Ephrata, Washington, called Kane Konvenience, to earn a living. John Kane, the son of George, was working there with him, and on his free time, he developed the candy bar that you all know and love to sell at the store, the Stripe Bar, in 1948. This candy bar and the gas station itself were so successful that Kane Konvenience expanded into the neighboring towns of Ellensburg and Wenatchee in 1949.
But all good things must come to an end, because sales started to slump in 1951. And by slump, we mean that Kane Konvenience almost declared Bankruptcy a few years later. Why? The bigger gas station companies, like Exxon, Mobil, and Sunoco, were prevailing over the local stations, drowning out the small-town stores like Kane Konvenience. So to keep from losing everything; George Kane sold the Ellensburg and Wenatchee stores to Sunoco. It was hopeless to continue as a gas company.
In 1945, George Kane returned from fighting Japan in World War Two as a marine, and decided to begin a small convenience store and gas station in his hometown of Ephrata, Washington, called Kane Konvenience, to earn a living. John Kane, the son of George, was working there with him, and on his free time, he developed the candy bar that you all know and love to sell at the store, the Stripe Bar, in 1948. This candy bar and the gas station itself were so successful that Kane Konvenience expanded into the neighboring towns of Ellensburg and Wenatchee in 1949.
But all good things must come to an end, because sales started to slump in 1951. And by slump, we mean that Kane Konvenience almost declared Bankruptcy a few years later. Why? The bigger gas station companies, like Exxon, Mobil, and Sunoco, were prevailing over the local stations, drowning out the small-town stores like Kane Konvenience. So to keep from losing everything; George Kane sold the Ellensburg and Wenatchee stores to Sunoco. It was hopeless to continue as a gas company.
Konvenience to Kandy:
Using the money that he got from selling those buildings, George Kane transformed the Ephrata store into a small candy factory and store, manufacturing and selling his son’s creation (alongside other candy products from other companies) in 1953. The new company was called Kane Kandy Ko. Business boomed locally in Ephrata and beyond , but the new costumers required more diverse products, so John Kane got to work and created many new candies to satisfy the craving crowds, such as the Chocolate² bar, the Nougatizer bar, and the Puget PUNCH! hard candy. |
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