Gilbert Chocolates – A Century of Quality Chocolate Products
Gilbert Chocolates traces its beginnings to John O. Gilbert and his wife Mary. They had operated a bakery and confectionary factory in Findlay, Ohio starting in 1893. After outgrowing their building and the city, they decided to move to the larger city of Jackson, Michigan to allow the business to continue to grow. They quickly opened two retail stores in Jackson, one operated exclusively as a candy and ice cream parlor while the other sold both the Gilbert candies and bakery goods.
The reputation of Gilbert Chocolates grew and soon they began manufacturing candy at a facility on the corner of Pearl and South Mechanic Streets in Jackson. As their success grew, a larger two-story factory was built in 1913.
In 1917, John Gilbert opened a larger store and continued operations until around 1960. The Knapp family operated Gilbert chocolates for a few years, until 1964 two former employees bought the chocolate business and moved the factory to Ackerson Lake Drive, where it remained for 52 years. During the time we were on Ackerson Lake Drive, the business maintained its reputation as the finest gourmet chocolates in Michigan.
Around 1990, a retail store was one again opened to sell the chocolates locally. In 1991, the store was relocated to Paka Plaza, now the Jackson Crossing Mall, where it continues to operate today.
In 2016 Gilbert Chocolates returned to downtown Jackson with a new chocolate factory and retail store at 233 North Jackson Street, just a short walk from the location of the original stores and factory. We are proud to still use the recipes developed by John O. Gilbert and to use the equipment he used over 100 years ago to manufacturer the finest candies you will ever taste.
Thank you for visiting our online chocolate store. We invite you to visit our retail stores in downtown Jackson, Jackson Crossing Mall in Jackson, MI, and Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, MI. We hope you’ll enjoy our gourmet chocolates and agree they are “The Sweet Soul of Michigan”.