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Ask Kelly: Why don't we see Clark Bars everywhere?

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Kelly Sasso went to Boyer Candy in Altoona, where they make the candy bars now, to find out what's going on with the Clark Bar.

Ask Kelly: Why don't we see Clark Bars everywhere?

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Kelly Sasso went to Boyer Candy in Altoona, where they make the candy bars now, to find out what's going on with the Clark Bar.

GO TO AN URGENT CARE IF THERE ARE NOT SEVERE SYMPTOMS. KELLY: TIME NOW FOR A SEGMENT CALLED ASK KELLY. TO NEXT QUESTION IS A SWEET ONE. >> NEXT QUESTION IS A SWEET ONE. HI KEY.LL I’VE BEEN WONDERING I HEARD YEARS AGO THAT THE ICONIC PITTSBURGH CLARK CANDY BARAS W SUPPOSED TO COME BK.AC NOW IT IS YEARS LATER AND I HAVE YET TO SEE ONE SINGLE CANDY BAR ON ANY STORE SHE.LF WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? KELLY: AS SOON AS I HEARD THAT VOICEMAIL, I THOUGHT ME NEITHER. I GO TO STORES ALL THE TIME, AND I DON’T SEE ANY CLARK BA.RS SO WE TOOK A LITTLE TRIP OUT TO ALTOONA TO BOYER CANDY, WHERE EYTH MAKE THEM NOW TO FINDUT O WHAT IS UP WITH ATTH IT WAS THE NEWS FANS OF THE CLARK BAR HAD BEEN WAITING FOR. IN 2018, IT WAS ANNOUNCED ETH PITTSBGHUR INSTITUTION WAS COMING HOME TO PENNSYLVAA.NI >> WE ACQUIRED CLARK APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO. WE’VE BEEN TRYI TNGO ACQUIRE CLARK FOR THE LAST 20. >> ANTHONY FORGOINE IS THEEO C OF BOYER CANDY IN ALTOONA, A POSITION HIS LATE FATHER HELD BEFORE TT. DESPITE HIS FAMILY’S DECADES OF EFFORTS TO GET CLARK, IT TOOK THE NECCO COMPANY OUTF O NEW ENGLAND, GOING BANKRUPT IN 2018, FOR IT TO HAPPEN. DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA ROOTS THAT YOU WANTEDO TPURSUE THAT? BECAUSE PEOPLE HERE LOVE IT. AND YOU GUYS ARE A PENNSYLVANIA COMPANY? >> ABSOLUTY.EL IT’ANS ICON IN THIS AREA. IT IS AN ICON ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ESPIAECLLY HERE. KELLY: THE CLARK BAR WAS FSTIR MANUFACTURED BY THE D.L. CLARK COMPANY ON THNOE RTH SIDE OF PITTSBURGH IN 1917. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD MANY TIMES AFTER TH.AT IT’S CONSIDERED AMERICA’S FIRST COMBINATION CANDBAY THAT IS, IT HAS CHOCOLATE AND A FILLING INSI.DE AND ANTHONY HAS SPARED NO EFRTFO IN RESPECTING THE RECIPE HELD TIGHT ON THIS RECIPE CARD, DATED 1944. >>T I IS A REALLY NEAT PRODUCT. IT IS COMPLICATED TO MAKE. IT IS NOT JUST POURING CHOCOTELA INTO A MOLD, COOLING IT, AND THROWING IT IN PACKAGING. KELLY: AND THAT BRINGS US TO KEVIN’S QUESTION. WHY DON’T WE SEE CLARK BARS EVERYWHERE?. WELL, ANTHONY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO INVITE US AND HIM -- INVITE US IN TO DEMONSTRATE FIRST HAND HOW LABOR ANTID ME INTENSIVE THE PROCESS IS. >> THIS IS THE CLARK BAR. AFTER IT IS COOKED, IT IS ACTUALLY A DARK SHADE OF BROWN. KELLY: IT IS A SEVERAL-STEP PROCESS THAT TAKES A TOTALF O TWO DAYS TO GET FROM SCRATCH TO A CLARK BAR. ETH FILLING IS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED A HARD CANDY. THE PROCESS OF MAKG INHARD CANDY IS SO ANTIQUATED THAT ANTHONY SAYS, THEY’RE ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF COMPANIES IN THE S.U. THAT EVEN DO IT ANYMORE. ON DAY TWO, THE HARD CANDY CENTERS ARE ENROBED IN OCCHOLATE AND THEN WRAPPED. BECAUSE OF THIS LENGTHY PROCESS, THEY CAN ONLY MAKE THEM ONCE A WEEK, PRODUCING ABOUT 9,000 BARS. COMPARE THAT TO THE COMPANY’S OTHER STAPLE BRAND, THE MALLO-CUP. WHERE THE MACHINERY,LL AOWS THEM TO MAKE 280,00 CUPS A DAY. >> I’LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, IT’S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN I THOUGHT WHEN I ACQUIRED THE COMPANY ON HOW TO MAKET. I IT IS AN ART. MAKING THIS BAR IS A SKILL IT’S -- SKILL. IT’S AN ART. IT’S NOT TURN ON A MACHINE AND CRANK THEM OUT. KELLY: ANOTHER REALLY INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS THE EQUIPMENT. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL PIECESF O MACHINERY OMFR WHEN THE CLARK BAR WAS MADE IN PITTSBURGH. SO WHENEVER ANYTHING GETS DAMAGED OR BREAKS, THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT, BECAUSE THE’E'S NO MANUAL, OR COMPANY THEY CAN CALL, TO GET LPHE. SO THAT ALSO LED TO A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY IN GETTING PRODUCTION STARTED AFTER THEY BOUGHT THE RITSGH TO THE BAR. SO, THEY’RE MAKING A FEW THOUSAND BARS A WEEK, WHERE CAN SOMEBODY GET ONE? YOU HAVE TO GO TO A SPECIALTY CANDY STE.OR ANDR:EW THAT IS FASCINATING. KELLY: I KNOW YOU DON'’ LIKE CHOCOLATE, BUT YOU CAN KPEE IT AS A SOUVENIR. FOR EVERYBODY ELS, PLEACES LIKE S&S CANDY ON THE SOUTHSIDE. ANTHONY SAITHD EY HOPE TO MASS PRODUCE THEM AT SOME POINT OENC THEY UPDATE THE EQUIPMENT. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY’RE JUST HAPPY TO KEEP THE BRANALD IVE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE LIMITED QUANTITIES THEY MAKE STAY IN THE REGION. THEY ARE NOT SHIPPING IT TO LICAFORNIA. ANDREW: GOOD EAID KELLY: IT IS A FASCINATING STORY. IF THERE IS A QUESTION I CAN GET ANSWERED, LET ME KNOW. LEAVE ME A VOICE MESSAGE AT THE NUERMB ON YOUR SCREEN. OR YOU CAN JUMP STRAIGHT IN AND SEND ME A VIDEO MESSAGE. YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ME IN A FACEBOOKESSAGE M OR BY EMAILING ASK KELLY AT HEARS
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Ask Kelly: Why don't we see Clark Bars everywhere?

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Kelly Sasso went to Boyer Candy in Altoona, where they make the candy bars now, to find out what's going on with the Clark Bar.

This week's question for our "Ask Kelly" segment is about finding Clark candy bars in the Pittsburgh area. "Hi, Kelly! I've been wondering: I heard years ago that the iconic Pittsburgh Clark candy bar was supposed to come back. Now it's years later and I have yet to see one single candy bar on any store shelf. What's up with that?" Kevin Beam from Trafford said. Watch the full report in the video player above.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Kelly Sasso went to Boyer Candy in Altoona, where they make the candy bars now, to find out what's going on with the Clark Bar.

This week's question for our "Ask Kelly" segment is about finding Clark candy bars in the Pittsburgh area.

"Hi, Kelly! I've been wondering: I heard years ago that the iconic Pittsburgh Clark candy bar was supposed to come back. Now it's years later and I have yet to see one single candy bar on any store shelf. What's up with that?" Kevin Beam from Trafford said.

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Watch the full report in the video player above.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Kelly Sasso went to Boyer Candy in Altoona, where they make the candy bars now, to find out what's going on with the Clark Bar.