Wilbur Chocolate Candy Store and Museum
The company's Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz sells an assortment of Wilbur chocolates and other candy, and features the free Candy Americana Museum that tells the history of the company and how their chocolate is made. The exhibits include antique chocolate molds, tins and boxes, as well as hand-painted European and Oriental antique porcelain chocolate pots. The museum was created by Penny Buzzard, wife of former Wilbur president John Buzzard, and opened in 1972.
On March 31, 2008, then Senator Barack Obama visited Wilbur Chocolate Company. Mr. Obama greeted a sizable crowd outside before venturing inside to taste-test various treats offered to the calorie-conscious candidate. The hometown newspaper, the Lititz Record Express, documented his visit with a photo gallery.
Wilbur factory closure and redevelopment
In January 2016, Cargill stopped chocolate production at its historic factory and laid off approximately 130 Wilbur employees. This officially ended Wilbur's 125 years of chocolate-making at this site. According to an announcement on October 29, 2015, Cargill would "close its plant in Lititz, Penn., on Broad Street and shift production of these offerings to Cargill’s other, more modern and efficient plants in Mount Joy, Lititz (West Lincoln Avenue) and Hazleton, Penn.; Milwaukee; and Ontario, Canada."
The closed factory was redeveloped into 25 condos and a hotel. The Market at Wilbur, Blackworth Live Fire Grill, a restaurant opened August 2019, while the Wilbur Lititz, a Tapestry Collection hotel by Hilton, opened September 2019.
Read the full text
In December 2023, The Market at Wilbur was closed to make room for a new restaurant, owned by Blackworth Live Fire Grill. However, financial turmoil has disrupted these plans, leading the community to wonder what's next for the Wilbur Factory.
