Originally started in 1975, Beulah’s Candyland began as a simple stand at Green Dragon, a local farmer’s market located right outside of Ephrata, PA in Lancaster County. The Beulah’s Candyland stand was started by a woman named Beulah, a kind and generous woman who had a love for sweets and for her community. The Beulah’s stand became a staple at the market throughout the years and eventually expanded to encompass other stands in the market.
Through 2005, there have been several owners of Beulah’s Candyland since the original Beulah, but none of them changed the name in honor of the woman who started it. The name and its reputation are known in the Ephrata community – and beyond!
In 2005, Jeff and Sharmaine Weidman purchased the Beulah’s Candyland stand and continued operating at Green Dragon. Opening in 1932, millions of people have visited this market over the years. The popularity of Green Dragon has allowed Beulah’s to reach a wide variety of customers, many of whom have stopped by when visiting from other states. Over the years, Beulah’s has frequently encountered shoppers who are delighted to find candy they fondly remember from their childhoods that they have not been able to find anywhere else.
Dawn of Beulah’s Ecommerce
Quickly, the Beulah’s team was inspired to try selling their product online in addition to their market stand. Green Dragon is only open on Fridays, which limited a lot of people from being able to stop by, especially those who were not local to the Lancaster area. Since there were so many out of state visitors, the Beulah’s Candyland online channels gained popularity.
Beulah’s was able to reach many people, even beyond their dedicated customer base. For people who visited the market stand, but wanted the candy more often or in larger quantities, or even just the convenience of having it delivered to their home, buying from Beulah’s Candyland online was a fantastic solution. For others, many who had never heard of Beulah’s before, they were able to find beloved candy from their childhoods, but could not find it at larger retailers.
A Change in Direction
During 2020, the team at Beulah’s decided to focus all their efforts on ecommerce. Having built this side of the business over the years, it meant more flexibility for employees’ schedules and greater reach in customers. Beulah’s Candyland is a family-owned business with a small, close-knit team. Being able to operate solely out of their offices meant they could all fully focus on online sales and ensure the quality of the candy and service was top tier!
Now, Beulah’s Candyland is fully online, but still local to the Ephrata area – our offices are just a few miles from Green Dragon! Since 2023, Beulah’s has been a part of the Dutch Valley Food Distributors family of companies, another family-owned business in the Central Pennsylvania area. You will still find the candies you love, with even more offerings! Explore our website to find sweet treats and nostalgic surprises.