Coffee Rio

Coffee Rio History Coffee Rio is a brand of coffee-flavored hard candy that was first introduced by the Richardson Brands Company in the United States in the 1960s. The candy quickly became popular and gained a loyal following due to its rich coffee flavor and creamy texture.T...

Coffee Rio History

Coffee Rio is a brand of coffee-flavored hard candy that was first introduced by the Richardson Brands Company in the United States in the 1960s. The candy quickly became popular and gained a loyal following due to its rich coffee flavor and creamy texture.

The Richardson Brands Company was founded in 1893 by a candy maker named Donley Richardson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company originally focused on making cough drops and other medicinal candies, but in the 1950s, it began to expand its product line with the introduction of new candies like soft chews and hard candies.

Coffee Rio was one of the new candies that Richardson Brands introduced in the 1960s. The candy was made with real coffee and cream and had a unique, smooth texture that made it stand out from other coffee-flavored candies. Over the years, the Coffee Rio brand has expanded to include a variety of flavors, including original coffee, latte, Irish cream, and espresso.

Today, Coffee Rio candies are still produced by Richardson Brands and are sold in stores throughout the United States. The candy has become a classic American treat and is enjoyed by coffee lovers of all ages.

Coffee Rio Memories

My nonna, was a beautiful, loving, short Italian woman. Nearly everything in her home was made by her tiny, but incredibly strong hands. I spent so many days in her San Francisco Victorian home in the Mission District learning everything I could from this amazing woman.

One of the rare, store-bought edibles she always had was a bowl of Coffee Rio Original Roast hard candies in the dining room. I remember sneaking them one after another when she wasn't looking to keep the bittersweet taste in my mouth as long as I could in between delicious homemade Italian meals. ~Meghan from California

When I was a kid growing up on Long Island, NY, we visited my grandparents often--they lived in Forest Hills. My grandmother always had a porcelain flowered candy dish filled with coffee rio’s on the coffee table in the living room. They were my favorites, and I could never wait--when we arrived I went straight to the candy dish and took a handful. When I got older and she wasn't able to keep up, I thought they were lost forever. Recently I attended a gathering at a friend's house, and there on the coffee table were candies that looked just like the ones at my grandmother's house. The second I tasted one, the whole era of my childhood visits came back to me in sensuous delight. What a thrill to have found them again after all these years! ~Judith from New York