It all started 34 years ago...

...when our founder Dave Burton was living in a small town in the Rocky Mountains.  Dave has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and was always looking for ways to make extra spending money.   As a child, his options were limited.  He tried selling greeting cards door to door and set up a small lemonade stand.  Where he really found success was when his mother found a recipe for home-made lollipops and suggested they try it out.  They made a few flavors and Dave took them to school and sold them to his friends.  They were a huge hit!

Every day when he got home from junior high he would do his homework and then make lollipops, which he sold to his classmates.   The business thrived, perhaps too much, because eventually the school principal shut down his business because he was taking too much revenue away from the vending machines.  "I learned a lot about running a business at a very young age.  My parents gave me the ingredients for the first few batches of candy but after that I had to buy additional ingredients with my profits.  I learned basic business skills like marketing, inventory management and accounting." says Dave

Over the years various jobs kept him close to candy making.  His first real job at the age of 14 was as a singing fudge maker at a local mall.  He also worked in a cookie store for a few years in high school.  After college Dave pursued a career in retail marketing and consulting but maintained his passion for sugary treats. He continued making candy for fun and giving it to his friends and family.  In 2006 Dave moved to the Washington DC area.  "I fell in love with Washington DC the first time I visited the city back in the late 90s." says Dave.  When the opportunity presented itself he sold his house and moved here.

 In 2014 Dave decided that he needed a career change and began searching for new opportunities.  He had always dreamed of owning his own business but was never quite sure what type of business he should pursue.   After making Valentine's treats for several of his friends the answer presented itself.  With the support and encouragement of his friends and family, The Capital Candy Jar was born.  Dave wanted to build a company that supported DC and the local economy so he joined Union Kitchen, a DC based food incubator. After 3 years producing candy out of Union Kitchen, we were finally big enough to open our own store and production space in the Hill East Neighborhood just a few blocks from the US Capitol Building.  We continue to make all of our candy by hand in small batches.  It's sold in gourmet grocery stores, gift shops and coffee shops all over the United States.   Now everyone can try Dave's tasty confections and we hope you'll love them as much as we do.