The Smiling Bear Candy Shop was founded in 1920 by the Ursuli brothers, Max and Giacomo, who left their hometown of Florence for Boulder, Colorado.

They brought the recipes for Tuscan sweets with them, using the recipes to open their first candy shop on Main Street. The Smiling Bear Candy Shop was an immediate success and since then has only gotten bigger.

Despite opening many new shops over the last hundred years (we proudly operate 17 candy boutiques all around the United States), The Smiling Bear remains a family company. It is currently owned by Giovanni Ursuli, a direct descendant of Max Ursuli.