Product line
Atkinson Candy Company specializes in peanut butter and peppermint-flavored candies. The current product line includes the Chick-O-Stick, Coconut Long Boys, peanut brittle, mint twists, Peanut Butter Bars, and holiday candy. Atkinson also produces a premium hard candy line known as Gemstone Candies. In 2013, Atkinson acquired the candies Black Cow, Slo Poke and Sophie Mae from
The Warrell Corporation. In 2019, they reached a licensing agreement with Spangler Candy Company to make the former Necco candy, Mary Janes.
The company's flagship product, the Chick-O-Stick, is a crunchy bar of peanut butter and toasted coconut with a distinctive amber-orange coating, invented in the late 1930s. It was originally sold under the name Chicken Bones and accompanied by a cowboy-hat-wearing chicken mascot. Both the name and the mascot were retired in 1955 following a copyright dispute. The mascot had also drawn complaints because it incorrectly suggested that chicken was among the ingredients. The recipe has remained unchanged since the 1940s, and the product is vegan.
According to Eric Atkinson, the Chick-O-Stick is the company's leading product in the convenience-store format (large bars), while the Peanut Butter Bars line is a strong second and often leads sales in grocery and dollar-store retail channels.
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In 2024, Atkinson partnered with Rocket Fizz to release a Chick-O-Stick–flavored soda.
Operations and culture
The Lufkin facility is certified to the Safe Quality Food (SQF) standard. Company leadership has stated that the firm's East Texas roots are central to its identity and that relocation is not being considered.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic – during which Atkinson saw a sharp spike in Chick-O-Stick demand alongside acute labor shortages – the company has hosted an annual Halloween public event at the factory called Chick-O-Treat, at which Eric Atkinson appears dressed as Willy Wonka.
