About The Knudsen's

Dave & Kathy  Knudsen were married in January of 1967.  In August of 1968 they  purchased a small Ice Cream Store on 32nd and Clement Street in San  Francisco.  That store was sold in the summer of 1973.
 

In August 1973 they purchased The Candy Factory located in Southland  Mall in Hayward, California.  Over the next 25 years this business grew  from a small 650 square foot candy store in the Mall to an 18,000 square  foot “real” candy factory and a 20,000 square foot candy distribution  center.  Both of these locations were located in Hayward.  Our gourmet  chocolates were sold in a great many candy stores throughout the western  United States and several stores in Hawaii and on the island of Guam.
 

Throughout most of Dave & Kathy's 44 years of marriage, they have  worked side by side creating their successful businesses.  Part of the  reason for their success was the fact that during most of the 35 years  in the candy business they were assisted by all four of their children  and by one son-in-law.  For many years sons Tod & Jay, daughter  Vicki and her husband John Cosgrove worked with Dave and Kathy.  Son Ty  worked earlier in the retail store but married a Southern California  girl and moved south.  For over 10 years 6 people in the Knudsen family  worked together building the business until it was sold in 2001.  
 

I guess the rest is history in the making.  The Ice Creamery had been  closed for a year and needed a new caretaker.  Dave & Kathy leased  the building, completely remodeled the ice cream store, added a working  candy factory, and reopened the business in the spring of 2004.

All of our candies are made right here where you can see the process.   Our recipes have been tried, tested and improved over the last 30  years.  We use only the finest ingredients in order to bring you the  freshest and most delicious candies available.  On your way out stop by  the candy counter and watch the candy maker.  Then try a sample of one  of our gourmet candies.  Never has there been a better Peanut Brittle or  English Toffee then you will find at our counter.  Ingredients such as  creamery fresh butter and pure Madagascar vanilla give the unforgettable  flavor.  Love and care go into every single batch of wonderful candy  that is made at Knudsen's.  

As of the fall of 2005, Dave & Kathy, began the process of preparing  for retirement.  Son-in-law, John Cosgrove, made the decision to become  a partner with Dave & Kathy.  The Ice Creamery then began to make  it's own ice cream.  This made it possible to make new products, such as  the Lactose-free Sorbets and “No Sugar Added” ice cream.   Unfortunately, in July of 2010, John lost his battle with pancreatic  cancer and he was taken from us.  Dave & Kathy's retirement was  again put on hold.    

Today Shay, the grand-daughter,  now the managing owner.   Shay comes with management experience from Restaurant and is  our General Manager.  Taryn learned to make ice cream from our dear  John before he left us, and she has taken our ice cream to the NICRA   (National Ice Cream Retailers Association) convention, where our vanilla  ice cream won second place in the national contest. Kathy and I are  very proud of these two special girls and we know The Ice Creamery will  survive for a lot of years.  

If you go back to a dairy farm in Denmark, Dave's family has been in the  food business for over 125 years.  Dave's father ran a meat market and  grocery store in Omaha for 53 years.  Dave & Kathy have been in the  ice cream and candy business for 44 years.  The family motto, “Our best  is for you” was born in the early 1900's and has been our inspiration  ever since.  The delivery truck on our  T-shirts is exactly like the one Dave's father used to deliver groceries back in the 30's.