Macy’s Sell Frango Chocolate Brand To Garrett Popcorn

More than a decade after Macy’s inherited much-adored chocolate brand Frango from Marshall Field & Co., the struggling department store is selling the label to Garrett Popcorn. 

Macy’s announced the transaction Monday, noting that Garrett will now “develop, create, sell, and distribute” the chocolate and confectionary brand.

Under the deal, for which a price was not disclosed, the Frango Cafe at Macy’s State Street store in Chicago (better known locally as the former flagship location for Marshall Field’s) will remain open and the candies will continue to be sold at more than 350 Macy’s locations.

“We are happy to have found such a natural partner in Garrett Brands and are confident they will be great stewards of the Frango brand,” Tim Baxter, chief merchandising officer at Macy’s, said in a statement. “And, given Garrett Brands’ history of thoughtfully growing brands, we are confident that this partnership will introduce new customers to premium Frango chocolates.”

Frango was first launched in 1918 for the Frederick & Nelson department stores. The brand’s chocolate mints were popularized by the Marshall Field’s department stores after it acquired the trademark in 1929, expanding the candy’s reach.

The chocolates were produced on the 13th floor of the department store until 1999 when the kitchen closed, according to the Chicago Tribune. In 2005, Macy’s acquired Marshall Field and the Frango brand, eventually moving production of chocolates back to Chicago. We’ve reached out to Garrett to confirm if Frango-making will continue in the Windy City, and will update this story if we hear back.