A Sweet Texas Comeback

For a few months, it looked like Lammes Candies would become one of those Texas businesses people talked about in the past tense.

The Austin candy company announced in April that it would close after 141 years in business. Its longtime Airport Boulevard location, with its giant candy cane pole and neon lamb sign, had been part of Austin for decades. So had the candy itself: pecan pralines, chocolate Longhorns, Sherbet Mints, and plenty of holiday boxes that made their way into Texas homes year after year.

Then a Fort Worth company got involved.

Delightful Development Co., led by Craig Cavileer and Kayla Wilkie-Kinne, has acquired Lammes Candies in partnership with the Lamme family. Cavileer spent 13 years redeveloping the Fort Worth Stockyards, with Wilkie-Kinne working alongside him for much of that time. Their work included Hotel Drover and Mule Alley.

This is a different kind of project for the Fort Worth-based company, but the connection to Texas history is familiar. Lammes dates back to 1885, when David T. Lamme Sr. opened his first candy shop in Austin. The company eventually grew into a large confectionery operation, with its Airport Boulevard factory opening in 1956.

The pralines became one of its best-known products, and the lamb in the company's logo had a practical purpose, too. It was meant to help customers pronounce the Lamme name correctly.

Those details are part of what the new owners are trying to preserve. The plan is to keep the legacy recipes and traditions while updating the brand, including new packaging, a refreshed website, and additional products. The Lamme family will remain involved as the company moves forward.

For customers who don't want to wait for the full relaunch, there is already a way to get some of the old favorites.

Holiday preorders opened September 29 for a limited run of Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines, Longhorns and Sherbet Mints, packaged in the brand's legacy boxes. The Christmas Sherbet Mints will also be available at select Cracker Barrel locations, and nationwide shipping is scheduled to begin November 1.

The larger relaunch is planned for spring 2027. No new Lammes storefront has been announced yet, so the first part of the comeback will happen online rather than at another candy shop.

For DFW readers, there's a little more to the story than the ownership change. Production is moving to Fort Worth as part of the transition, giving North Texas a direct role in the company's next phase. Lammes products have also been available at retailers around the Metroplex, including Central Market, so the brand is already familiar here.

Meanwhile, the old Austin location is moving on without Lammes. A separate developer has purchased the property for an adaptive reuse project, though the recognizable exterior sign and candy cane pole are expected to remain.

So the Lammes name isn't disappearing. It just won't look exactly as longtime customers remember.

For now, the easiest way to get the candy is online. Holiday orders are open, with nationwide shipping beginning November 1, while the company works toward its larger spring 2027 relaunch.