Flesor’s Candy Kitchen is a resurrection of our family’s locally famous soda fountain and confectionary business located in its original site. Built in 1871, the building is part of the original town. In 1901, shortly after his emigration from Greece, our grandfather, Gus Flesor, bought the building and opened his own confectionary, a trade he learned from other Greek immigrants who were migrating downstate from Chicago. Success in the business allowed him to bring two brothers over to America, support his own growing family and contribute to his new town, Tuscola, with a viable business and leadership in community organizations. Well into his nineties, Gus Flesor was interviewed as part of the University of Illinois’ 1973 documentary of central Illinois artisans. In addition, our entire family was highlighted as the subsequent generations to maintain the now-vanishing craft of homemade candy and ice cream manufacturing. |