Since 1939, pedestrians and residents around Milwaukee Avenue and Kinzie Street have been enveloped by the sweet smell of chocolate escaping the Blommer Chocolate Factory. This past Friday, the delightful aroma, along with Blommer chocolate production, came to an end.
According to a press release from the company, heightened repair and maintenance costs of the Chicago landmark facility led to the decision to close and refocus manufacturing in Pennsylvania, California and Canada. Blommer intends to invest over $100 million in the three remaining manufacturing facilities.
The chocolate factory was founded by brother trio Henry, Al and Bernard Blommer 85 years ago and became the largest cocoa processor in North America. At its peak, the factor produced more than 200 million pounds of chocolate every year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
After Fuji Oil Holdings bought the company for $750 million, shifts in operations led to the eventual shuttering of the Chicago-based facility. The investor revealed that the elevated operating costs and global increase of cocoa prices combined with losses of nearly $60 million in 2023 pushed the company to close the facility.
Blommer officially ceased production Friday, March 22, and will close the factory at the end of May. There are plans to maintain the company’s research and development department at Merchandise Mart, maintaining an ongoing Blommer presence in Chicago.