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CHEZ CITYGIRL
As a child, one of my fondest memories of Downtown DC was visiting Woodward and Lothrop with my mother and purchasing these heavenly, melt in your mouth candies, that I would later learn to be Velatis caramels. My family purchased these decadent little confections by the truckload, gracing our birthdays, Thanksgivings and Christmases with their unmistakable goodness. But as Woodies went the way of the parachute pants, so did my beloved candies. For years, mine was a bland, gray, Velatis-less candy existence until one day in late 2010 when the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine morphed into a Velatis store in downtown Silver Spring.
The Velatis story began in 1850 with Salvatore Velati, an Italian immigrant opening his first store and factory in Richmond, Virginia. By 1866, Velati was selling and producing his confections in a store on 9th and F Streets NW in Washington, building a loyal following over the next 100 years that included movie stars and First Ladies. In 1972
the Velatis store was destroyed to make way for the Metro and the store moved into the Woodies store at 11th and F. In the 80s the business - recipes and equipment to boot - was sold to Woodward and Lothrop. When Woodies went bankrupt in the early 90s along with it went the Velatis name until 1996 when the Servais family, led by Amy Servais, purchased the company and breathed life into a time honored Washington favorite. After a return to Richmond, the Servais settled in a brand new store in Downtown Silver Spring.
Today, Velatis sells 20 varieties of its chewy and sugary candies that run the gamut from original vanilla to key lime and seasonal pumpkin and eggnog. Velatis also makes corporate gifts and wedding favors. To shop Velatis online, click here
Velatis Caramels
The Original Velatis, Inc.
8408 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-578-8612
Open Mon. – Fri. 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturdays from 10 AM to 5:00 PM
Closed on Sundays
