What Happened to Jujubes?
Jujubes is a long-running chewy candy brand introduced in 1920 under the Heide candy business. It became strongly associated with boxed movie-theater candy in the United States. After ownership moved from Heide to Hershey, then to Farley’s & Sathers, and later into Ferrara, the brand became less visible in ordinary retail. Today, Jujubes is remembered much more easily than it is found.
🔀 Fate: Jujubes became harder to find after several ownership changes. The brand’s ownership history can be traced into Ferrara through the 2012 Ferrara and Farley’s & Sathers merger, but current mainstream availability is hard to confirm from strong official product pages.
Jujubes is one of those candy brands that feels tied to an older movie-theater experience. In the United States, the candy dates to 1920 and became part of the long-running Heide family of chewy confectionery. For decades, Jujubes was known as a familiar boxed candy rather than a trendy novelty item.
What made Jujubes stand out was its firm chew. That was part of the appeal and part of the complaint. Fans liked that one box could last a long time, especially during a movie. Others thought it was too tough or too sticky. Either way, that texture gave Jujubes a very specific identity that softer gummy candies did not really replace.
The ownership history is easier to verify than the modern production story. Hershey acquired the Henry Heide confectionery business in 1995. Then, in 2002, Farley’s & Sathers bought several Heide-origin brands from Hershey, including Jujubees and JuJyfruits. In 2012, Ferrara merged with Farley’s & Sathers, which brought those older candy lines into Ferrara’s portfolio.
That history helps explain why Jujubes now feels more like a legacy candy brand than a widely visible mainstream product. The brand still shows up in candy history discussions, and people clearly remember it, but current official product visibility is much weaker than the brand’s historical reputation.
The safest way to describe Jujubes today is that its past is easy to trace, but its current shelf presence is harder to confirm. For many people, that uncertainty is part of the nostalgia. Jujubes is remembered as something that used to feel ordinary and easy to buy, but now feels tied to an older candy world that has thinned out.
Timeline
- 1920
Jujubes begins U.S. production under the Heide candy business.
- Mid-20th century
The candy becomes strongly associated with theater-box candy and concession culture.
- 1995
Hershey acquires the Henry Heide confectionery business.
- 2002
Farley’s & Sathers buys several Heide-origin brands from Hershey, including Jujubees and JuJyfruits.
- 2012
Ferrara merges with Farley’s & Sathers, bringing many of those brands into Ferrara’s portfolio.
- Present
Jujubes remains a recognized legacy candy name, but current mainstream retail visibility is difficult to verify from strong official product sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jujubes come out?
Jujubes entered the U.S. market in 1920 under the Heide candy business.
Who owned Jujubes over the years?
The brand began under Heide, moved into Hershey through the 1995 Henry Heide acquisition, then went to Farley’s & Sathers in 2002, and later became part of Ferrara through the 2012 Ferrara and Farley’s & Sathers merger.
Is Jujubes discontinued?
The safest answer is that Jujubes appears much less visible in mainstream retail today, but the strongest official sources are clearer on ownership history than on a formal discontinuation date.
Why do people remember Jujubes so strongly?
Mostly because of its firm chew and its long connection to movie-theater candy culture.
Is Jujyfruits the same as Jujubes?
No. They are related Heide-era candy brands, but they are different products. Jujyfruits has clearer current official brand visibility than Jujubes.