Meet Barb Popenhagen - part 1

Editor's Note: Introducing Meet Me Mondays! I am Britta Malsch, the Purchasing Manager at Anderson's Candy Shop. I also help the Anderson's with social media duties. As I enter my 10th year at the store, one of my goals has been to help introduce our family of staff to our family of customers. I hope you enjoy this series which will highlight the wonderful men and women who work hard to create the Anderson's Candy that you love! The first in our series is Barb Popenhagen.

Barb Popenhagen has been a part of the Anderson's Candy Shop Family for more than 37 years.

Barb started before the gift shop was added to the Richmond store and has been an integral part of growing the business through its second, third and fourth generations.

Barb has worn many hats at the shop including helping as a buyer of gifts to sell in Anderson's former Crystal Lake location and also for the gift store in Richmond.

Barb has served as a sales person, a store manager and a supply manager during her time at the shop. Although she has retired from full time hours, she still works seasonally, packaging hundreds upon hundreds of orders for pick-up and mailing during Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day!

Barb is THE KEEPER OF STANDARDS (and we are grateful!) when it comes to customer service, quality control and fulfilling orders. 

The first thing Barb remembers doing for Anderson's was putting freshly made candy away and waiting on customers in the store the day after Valentine’s Day. Raynold Anderson, our shop's second generation leader was her teacher.

Here are a few other fun tidbits from Barb!

 - Something Barb thinks would surprise customers to know about the candy shop is how few people actually work behind the scenes to create all that candy! Also, she thinks it would surprise people to know that each piece of our candy is actually dipped "one at a time" and not "in a machine like on I Love Lucy or Youtube!"

- Barb's MILK Chocolate Pick =  pecans, date coconut, divinity, and her favorite - Snappers!

- Barb's DARK Chocolate Picks = coconut, buttercream and the seasonal mint Oreos.

- Barb's favorite holiday to work at the Shop is Christmas! “We always get it done with so many happy customers.”

- One of Barbs fondest memories is when a local veterinarian who couldn’t get some circus elephants to take their medicine came to Anderson's and requested the shop make some large chocolate peanut clusters to hide the medicine in!

Other memorable incidents includes a customer asking Barb if we “shorten pants?” She said “I’ll have to check.” - She went in the back and asked the dippers if they wanted to help this guy out - no takers! And a few others included hidden engagement rings in candy boxes and sending a box of candy to a funeral for Mom to have a “sweet journey” to heaven.

Barb now uses her time off to spend more time with her family and friends.