After a break last year, a favorite Valentine's Day candy is back - but things aren't the same.
After the sweet treat underwent an ownership change in 2018, the Bryan, OH-based Spangler Candy Co. didn't have enough time to produce the necessary quantities of the conversation candy. While the company promised a full return in 2020, a spokesperson tells WVXU they are "excited to bring back Sweethearts to store shelves this year in limited quantities."
Sweethearts have been a Valentine's Day mainstay since 1902.
The company is still not fully equipped to produce the sweet treat after a series of hiccups, reports CNBC. It took Spangler a year to move the Sweethearts' equipment from previous owner Necco's factory in Revere, Mass., to Byron. Then, Spangler found some of the printing equipment wasn't up to par. After investing in new machinery, some of the equipment was damaged during production. That means this year, some hearts will be missing a few of the candy's trademark sayings.
"We know that's disappointing, but it's a disappointment for us, too," spokeswoman Diana Moore Eschhofen told CNBC.
The company expects to be back at full capacity in 2021.
But until then, take heart: You will be able to find Sweethearts at drugstores like CVS and Walgreens. And, this year will see the return of flavors like banana and wintergreen as according to CNBC, Spangler found the candy's original recipe buried in some Necco paperwork.
A previous version of this article misstated the Spangler Candy Co.'s location. It is Bryan, OH, not Bryon.
