'You're representing a lot of culture': Affy Tapple still an original at 75

In 75 years, Affy Tapple has changed ownership and locations, but the iconic caramel treat remains the same.

Celebrating its diamond anniversary this fall — the peak of the Affy Tapple year — the company's caramel apples are created with the same recipe, and in some of the same copper kettles, Edna Kastrup and her family developed in 1948 in a shop in Chicago's Rogers Park.

“It's the same stuff. Every Affy Tapple has been produced the same way for 75 years,” said Derek Dye, Affy Tapple e-commerce marketing manager.

Its factory moved to Niles in 2000, five years after the Kastrup family sold the company to private investors, Dye said. Beavers Family Confections bought it in 2017.

Affy Tapple, named that way for a better position in the now-obsolete phone book, is available in stores such as Jewel, Mariano's and Walmart in more than 20 states, mainly in the Midwest. Products also may be shipped through affytapple.com.

For product fresher from the kettle, a factory store is open daily except Sunday at 7425 N. Croname Road, Niles.

People might also be familiar with “Chicago's Original Caramel Apple” through school or youth sports fundraisers.

“Having grown up in Chicago, there's a lot of heritage that we bring. Myself, growing up doing fundraisers in my schools, we used to circle 'Affy Tapple Day' on our calendars,” said Beavers Family Confections CEO Brandon Beavers.

“So there's a lot of responsibility carrying on the heritage of a family business and a well-known Chicago brand. It's almost like Chicago pizza — in those names there's a lot of pride behind it, and you're representing a lot of culture. We take it seriously,” Beavers said.

Sourced mainly from Michigan orchards, the apples are coated in caramel and offered plain and in varieties using chocolate chips, peanuts, and colorful sprinkles. Other products include caramel- and chocolate-dipped pretzel rods, and peanut caramel cups.

Affy Tapple will make more than 300,000 caramel apples a day from its peak of October through December, rotating use of its 15 copper kettles all day to produce 85-pound batches.

Affy Tapple will do 75% of its business in October, Dye said.

The normal 50 factory and office staff are bolstered by about 300 seasonal workers when running at full capacity.

More than 1,000 people attended a “Family Fun Day” Oct. 7 at its factory store to celebrate Affy Tapple's anniversary. The event raised more than $4,000 and 400 pounds of food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Since 2001, a sister company, Mrs. Prindables, has offered several confections including a hand-dipped “gourmet taffy apple,” Dye said. Those come from Washington orchards.

“We're pretty diversified as far as the caramel apple game,” Dye said.

Holdings of the Beavers family — Brandon's father, the late Robert M. Beavers Jr., rose through the McDonald's Corporation — include Best Chicago Meat Company, which features brands Moo & Oink, Jemm Burger and Glenmark, whose Angus beef burgers are sold at Chicago White Sox games, Dye said.

For the next 75 years, Brandon Beavers said company goals include expansion beyond the traditional year-end sweet spot through other confections and products outside of caramel apples.

Improvements in marketing, capacity, labor and waste management put Affy Tapple in a strong position even considering the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“We had some tough lessons, but ultimately there are some things that have made us come out stronger than ever. That's thanks to our team and to the support of our customers,” Beavers said. “We came out of it significantly stronger than we ever were before.”