Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory & Cafe

We took our kids to Snoqualmie Falls to see the waterfall this afternoon. They enjoyed climbing the rocks and playing on the grassy area. Here is a picture I took of the falls.

After the kids were tired of running around, we drove to the small downtown of Snoqualmie and had dinner and dessert. We ended up at the Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory & Cafe. This place is your typical 50’s style cafe. It probably doesn’t look much different than it did 30 or 40 years ago. I like how they have menus scattered throughout the store. Some food items are listed on a board behind the counter, some are written on paper and taped to the soda machine and cash register. Several “specials” were taped to the back wall. There was fresh berry pie next to the cash register along with homemade caramels.

One thing I enjoy about small, family run businesses like this one is the attention each customer receives. This isn’t McDonald’s or Taco Bell that have countdown clocks where the rule of the game is to spend as little time with the customer as possible. No, at this cafe just the opposite is true. A simple ice cream order turns into a conversation about the town or the story behind the pie recipe. They don’t yell out a number when you’re order is ready. They don’t weigh your ice cream. They don’t wear uniforms or ask if you’d like to supersize. They talk to each customer like a friend would. It’s refreshing.

As we were about to leave the store I spotted the bins of taffy for which they are well-known. I grabbed a small bag and let the kids pick their favorite flavors.  Luca picked apple, Lincoln picked watermelon and Anna picked licorice. I took the bag of taffy up to the counter to be weighed. The gentlemen punched in some numbers into the register then looked at me and said, “I’m going to take a nickel off the price to compensate for the weight of that bag”.

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone mention the word, nickel, but that’s the type of place this is. And if you ever pay them a visit, make sure you stock up on the peppermint taffy. It’s delicious!