North Texas Developers Bring Legendary Austin Candy Brand Back to Life — The Sweet Story Behind Lammes Candies’ Rebirth

Some Texas brands are simply too beloved to disappear. Five months after Austin-based Lammes Candies — a state institution since 1885 — announced its closure, a Fort Worth-based development group acquired the company while keeping the founding family involved in the iconic confectionery.

Kayla Wilkie-Kinne, who co-founded and runs Delightful Development Co. with Craig Cavileer, tells PaperCity that the acquisition started with an Instagram post.

“We saw on Instagram last spring that Lammes Candies was closing down operations after 141 years in operation,” says Wilkie-Kinne. “We immediately reached out to the family to see if they would consider selling us the brand […] as we saw this as a treasure that would be lost if someone did not save this beloved company. As it turns out, many other people felt the same way!”

Cavileer says the decision was also influenced by his personal connection to the brand.

“I grew up in Austin and in my early years lived very close to the famous Airport Blvd location. I remember marveling at the candy cane pole and the lamb covered with neon on our trips driving by and sometimes to the store to load up on taffy and chocolates. Who wouldn’t be captivated by the magic of it all?”

A Rebranding That Preserves Lammes Candies’ Beloved Flavors and Lasting Legacy

For Lammes’ spring 2027 relaunch, Delightful has tapped Austin creative company McGarrah Jessee — whose portfolio includes Whataburger, Shiner Beer, YETI, and Deep Eddy Vodka — to refresh the brand’s packaging, website, and social presence while drawing on 141 years of family archives.

Cavileer and Wilkie-Kinne are preserving the company’s commitment to premium ingredients, handcrafted candies, and recipe integrity, while introducing new artisanal chocolates and candies. The Lammes family remains involved in the transition, they say.

The hospitality duo is doing far more than preserving a legacy candy maker. Through a partnership between Delightful Development Co. and Woodbine Development Co., they are overseeing development of a $160 million mixed-use Stockyards hotel that will bring two interconnected hotels with 225 rooms, a rooftop restaurant with sunset views, retail, a full-service day spa, pool, event spaces, and grounds stretching along Marine Creek.

Wilkie-Kinne says both projects reflect an idea central to Delightful Development Co. — preserving Texas heritage while giving it new life. The forthcoming Stockyards resort similarly draws on a rich history, the kind of project that her hospitality group thrives on, she adds.

An Opportunity to Load Up on Lammes Candies Ahead of the Holidays

The acquisition came with more than 32 recipes and formulations dating back to William Wirt Lamme’s founding of the company in 1885, including some that haven’t been produced in decades.

“We will not change a thing with the legacy recipes, premium ingredients, and handcrafting of the Texas Chewie Pecan Praline, the chocolate and pecan Longhorn, or the Holiday Sherbet Mints, which are all now available for pre-order,” Cavileer says. “Next spring, we will launch our new packaging, expanded product offerings, new website, and marketing campaigns across America. Rest assured, the history and charm of Lammes Candies will live on as we celebrate with the next generation of Lammes lovers.”

For the holidays, Lammes is marking its return with a limited run of three longtime favorites in the company’s familiar legacy packaging. Preorders are now open, and nationwide shipping begins November 1.

After five months without this treasured candy company, Fort Worth delivered a little holiday miracle we can all enjoy.