Frango’s Still For Sale As Chicago Store Closes Candy Dept.

Those of us from Chicago take our candy seriously. Especially the candy that our mothers and our mother's mothers used to buy. I'm talking about Fannie May's iconic Meltaways and Marshall Field's iconic Frango Mints. In recent years both iconic candies have almost gone away. Read on for the latest threat on one of Chicago's beloved chocolate candies.

My Mom still usually sends me one or the other as part of my Christmas gifts and I love it.

So when word got out that Macy's, the store that took over Marshall Field's, was closing their basement candy department at the former Field's flagship store on State Street it was big news.

It's not the first time that Macy's has made an unpopular decision with Chicagoans and fans of Frango Mints.

Most Chicagoans weren't fans of Macy's retiring the Marshall Field's name or the iconic green Marshall Field's bags so identified with the store. They also didn't like it when Macy's decided to have Frango Mints made in Pennsylvania as opposed to making them on the 13th floor of their State Street store, where they had been made for 70 years.

The good news is that Melissa Hernandez, who works in administrative support at Macy's, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Macy's will always be selling Frango's Chocolates. Which is a good thing, even if the basement candy department is closed.

Macy's candy sales at the State Street flagship aren't just limited to picking up a box of Frango Mints at displays throughout the store either.

The Sun-Times reports there's a new in-store candy shop called It'Sugar which opened last November one floor above the store's basement candy department.

If It'Sugar sounds familiar, it's because they're a chain. In addition to the store at Macy's on State Street in Chicago, they have stores on Chicago's Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier. In Kansas City, you can visit It'Sugar at Country Club Plaza. Not to mention they have an online presence.

It'Sugar is brash, fun, a little bit in your face. However, some Macy's shoppers will miss the basement candy department simply because it was vintage, or reminded them of times gone by.

Megan Peterson, a supervisor at It'Sugar, told the Sun-Times she remembers the basement candy department at Marshall Field's before it became Macy's and liked the sense of nostalgia it brought out because it was old-timey.

It wouldn't surprise me, and this is just me thinking, if Macy's closed their candy department specifically because It'Sugar opened a floor above.

Interestingly enough, It'Sugar's website doesn't offer any type of Frango chocolates online, so if you want to try them you'll have to either get them through Macy's website or Garrett Popcorn's website. I go with Macy's because the packaging itself is just like it's been for years.