New Richmond's riverfront just got a lot chewier. French Chew, the Cincinnati-born taffy that has been sticking to local teeth since 1896, quietly opened a combined storefront and production space at 400 Front Street in New Richmond. The Rice family, who purchased the brand from Doscher's, has turned the spot into a small-batch candy operation offering full-sized bars, bite-size minis and lighter puffs. Inside, old-school techniques meet a handful of new flavors, with family members handling most of the making and packing.
Raymond Rice spent about six months training with Doscher's to learn the ropes before moving the line to New Richmond, according to WCPO. The French Chew name traces back to 1896 and the hefty slabs once sold at Findlay Market, as outlined by Doscher's.
Family-run shop on Front Street
The Front Street storefront runs as a full-on family affair. Rice's wife, five children, his parents and a close family friend, Desiree, all help keep things moving, Rice told WCPO. "It's a family thing," Peggy Rice said, noting that the setup lets multiple generations work together without heavy or strenuous labor.
Where the candy is made
Production for the revived French Chew line is handled by Randy Confectionary in New Richmond, and the brand's online shop lists minis, puffs and soda-shop flavors coming out of that facility, per French Chew. Business directories such as Buzzfile place Randy Confectionary at 400 Front Street, confirming that the address doubles as both a retail counter and a finishing site.
A small business with a long memory
The dense, nougat-like texture that defines French Chew was developed in the late 19th century, and Doscher's records trace the candy back to those early Findlay Market slabs. Keeping production in the region taps into local nostalgia while supporting a small-scale maker that is trying to preserve a historic recipe and introduce it to new customers through a visible storefront and online sales.
French Chew's storefront appears on the Village of New Richmond's business directory at the Front Street address, and the company offers pickup and shipping through its online catalog, per NewRichmond.org and French Chew. For Cincinnati-area candy lovers, the Rice family's move means a long-running local chew is once again being made and sold close to home.
