When General Grant took Richmond approximately one month before the war ended, a candy store, the first Velatis, was burnt down in the process. Later, the company moved to 620 9th Street NW, Washington DC. During the turn of the 20th century a number of Velatis caramel stores were located in Washington, DC. (1408 G Street, 610 14th Street and 517 11th Street), thus establishing Velatis as a Washington tradition. Velatis world famous caramels have been enjoyed for generations by Washingtonian’s, world travelers, Presidents, movie stars and everyone in between. Woodrow Wilson wife of the 28th
President of the United States, actress Kim Novak and actor and comedian Rip Taylor are some of the famous names who have enjoyed our candy. Velatis famous caramels are made from old European recipes dating to the early 1800’s. Today, we continue the tradition of hand-making and hand-cutting the caramels, which are made with the finest and freshest ingredients without preservatives. The caramels are made in two styles. The specialty is the sugary (crumbly) caramel style, which crumbles when you bite into it and then just melts into your mouth (like a praline or European fudge). The other is the traditional chewy caramel style. Both of these caramel styles come in over 21 different varieties - - Vanilla or Chocolate, with or without nuts, Black Cherry Brandy, Raspberry Liqueur, Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog, just to name a few.
