About Us

SMALL IS SWEET

We believe in the magic of small things.
A small town. A small batch. A small gesture that says, “I was thinking of you.”

That’s how we make our chocolates — slow-cooked in copper kettles, cut by hand, packed like it’s headed to someone we know.

Not the fanciest way. Just the one that feels right.

Because when something’s made with care, it doesn’t have to shout.

Made in Minonk. Shared Anywhere.

REMINDER: We are a seasonal business. We close over the Summer to create some sweet memories. We close the 3rd Saturday of May, and reopen the Tuesday after Labor Day for Caramel Apple season!

History

It all started with two brothers.

In 1910, eighteen-year-old Tom Paloumpis left Greece and landed in Milwaukee to work for a cousin. The hours were long, the pay small — but the promise of America was worth it. He traded in his return ticket home and used the money to bring over his brother Nick. They never saw their parents again, but together, they built something lasting.

After a few years learning the candy trade in Chicago and Streator — likely at the beloved George’s Candy Shop — they arrived in Minonk, Illinois. On April 17, 1915, the Paloumpis brothers opened the Princess Sweet Shop.

It was more than a candy store. It was where you met friends for a soda, grabbed a caramel whip after school, or watched the snow fall through windows strung with candy canes at Christmastime. Their caramels became known throughout the state. They passed out treats to local schoolhouses during the holidays and were always the first in town to try something new — air conditioning, neon signs, an ice plant in the back.

In the summer, the smell of popcorn from their outdoor stand would drift down Minonk’s Chestnut Street. Saturday nights were for downtown shopping, and the Princess was always part of the plan.

Tom’s son, Herc, took over in 1945 and kept the magic going until his retirement in 1976. Though the original building is gone, the spirit of the Princess lives on.

That same year, Duane and Ivanelle Cunningham picked up the torch, selling the Paloumpis recipes as Cunningham’s Candies. Later, sisters Christie and Cindy Ketchmark moved the business back to main street, growing the chocolate and caramel apple offerings and eventually renaming it Minonk Chocolate Company in 2015.

In 2021, Cindy’s son Zach became the latest caretaker of this century-old tradition. Still based in Minonk. Still making caramel the old-fashioned way. Still delivering small gestures that say, “I was thinking of you.”

Because after all these years, we still believe:

Small is Sweet.