09-05-2025
Sanders celebrates 150th anniversary with new limited edition caramel
It's almost hard to imagine that in 1875, nearly 150 years ago to the day, the first Sanders shop opened in downtown Detroit in the Woodward and Gratiot area.
Generations of metro Detroiters grew up on Sanders ice cream sodas, cream puff hot fudge sundaes and, of course, delightful Bumpy Cake.
Now Sanders is gearing up to mark its 150th milestone with a community celebration in downtown Detroit. It will take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 15 in Cadillac Square, a significant spot for the candy maker because it's not far from that first location.
Sanders will be giving the community a taste of a limited-edition sweet treat: Sanders Birthday Cake White Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. It will also be serving ice cream topped with classic Sanders Hot Fudge or Caramel toppings. The company said its new caramels are made at its facility in Clinton Township and will soon be available at retailers, including Meijer stores.
Sanders has grown into a national brand and is owned by snack and treat maker Second Nature Brands, based in Madison Heights. Second Nature Brands is also the parent company of Kar's Nuts, which bought Morley Candy in 2018. Morley owned Sanders at the time.
At one time, there were 57 Sanders retail stores in the Great Lakes region, according to the Sanders website. Two Sanders stores still operate in metro Detroit, one in Clinton Township and the other in Rochester, where you can buy many of its confections and those of Second Nature Brands. There is also a Sanders store on Mackinac Island.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@ Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sanders announces Birthday Cake White Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
