Kathrine Frich
Shoppers will not see any empty shelves once the machines stop running.
Every neighborhood has a longtime business that locals assume will stay around forever.
Generations grow up walking past the same brick walls and hearing the hum of machinery inside.
Even the oldest hometown staples, though, eventually face changing times.
After 118 years
Ferrara Candy Company is shutting down its factory in Chicago after nearly 120 years in the city. According to People, a state labor notice filed with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shows the plant will close for good on April 5, 2027.
That move will leave 154 workers without jobs. Behind the scenes, the factory had not run at full strength for several years, CBS Chicago reported, and the company plans to move production to other locations.
“As a Chicago company of close to 120 years, this was an incredibly difficult decision, especially considering the great team at 31st Street,” a Ferrara representative said in a statement shared by WGN, pointing to “market conditions and our long-term innovation roadmap” as reasons for the shutdown.
What comes next
Shoppers will not see any empty shelves once the machines stop running. According to WGN, the spokesperson explained that the shutdown will not hurt product supply, customer service, or any of the company’s brands.
Laid-off staffers will get severance packages and help finding new work, WGN reported, and they can also apply for open jobs across Ferrara and its partner companies. Even with the plant closing, the candy maker is not leaving Illinois behind completely.
“Ferrara is deeply grateful to Chicago’s Little Village community for years of partnership and neighborly collaboration,” the company statement told WGN. “We remain committed to Chicago, home to our global headquarters.”
From storefront to giant
According to the company’s website and People, Ferrara started out in 1908 as the very first Italian sweets shop in Chicago. Today, the business runs four plants across the wider Chicagoland area and operates more than 30 sites overall with over 9,400 workers, according to a company press release.
Fans know the Ferrero-linked company best for creating Red Hots and Lemonhead, as well as making NERDS Gummy Clusters, according to People. After buying Nestlé’s candy arm in 2018, its lineup also includes Jelly Belly, Trolli, Brach’s, Black Forest, and Now and Later.
While the old 31st Street plant winds down, expansion is happening elsewhere. Back in April 2026, People reported, Ferrara unveiled a $675 million plan to build a 750,000-square-foot factory in South Carolina that should bring 1,000 jobs over the next decade.
