Sir Walter Candy Co.
Address: 3828 South Main Street
Telephone: 801-463-1541
Website: sirwaltercandy.com
District: South Salt Lake
“When people walk through the doors of Sir Walter Candy Co., we want them to feel like they matter - like they are part of something warm, nostalgic, and joyful.” Alfonso Porras grew up in Mexico City, where a family connection unexpectedly changed the course of his life.
Alfonso’s sister traveled to New Jersey to learn English and stayed with a family whose father, Walter Zittle, was a confectioner. Walter later visited Mexico City and quickly bonded with Alfonso, sharing stories of candy making and gifting him books on the craft. Their friendship deepened over the years. When Walter passed away, his wife Karen sent Alfonso the full collection of candy-making books from the 1930s and ’40s. She also mailed him $1,000 and a Tiffany watch, encouraging him to carry Walter’s passion forward. When Alfonso founded his business, he named it in Walter’s honor, using Walter’s very own signature from those books as the company’s logo.
In 1987, Alfonso moved from Mexico to California to attend college. He studied first at junior college, then at Long Beach State, while also working full time as a salesperson. By the late 1990s, he and his wife, Alejandra, decided to build a small trailer where they could make and sell candy at farmers markets and family festivals. Every Friday after school, Alejandra would gather their four children - Amir, Melissa, Brandon, and Haffid - load up the trailer and meet Alfonso straight from his sales job. He would trade his tie for shorts, and together they would set up to sell confections late into the night.
For Alfonso and Alejandra, it was never just about selling candy. It was about raising their children with the values of hard work and resourcefulness. From a very young age, the kids learned life skills - how to count change, upsell products, talk with customers, and manage a register. As they grew, they began helping with production, from stirring candied nuts to dipping caramel apples and chocolate clusters.
There are stories the family still laughs about today. Brandon bartered candy for face painting at festivals. Amir saved his earnings to buy sneakers. Melissa learned how to read customers and help them find their favorite treats. Looking back, Alfonso says those years gave his children skills and confidence that would last a lifetime.
In 2000, the Porras family opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in Monrovia, California. For a decade, they thrived. But wholesale demands grew, and their small California space could not keep up. After a series of challenges - including scrambling to make their own popcorn and toffee when a supplier failed them - they decided to relocate to Utah, where family ties and an unexpected opportunity provided a way forward.
In Salt Lake City, Sir Walter Candy expanded into wholesale production, supplying corporate gift companies, private-label partners, and national brands. Yet by the early 2020s, they were once again running out of room. “We were bursting at the seams,” Alfonso explained. Their 10,000-square-foot facility could no longer contain their equipment, packing lines, and growing workforce.
The family began looking for a building they could own rather than rent. When they discovered a vacant property in South Salt Lake with the right flow for production and retail, they knew it was the one. It took years of remodeling and planning to make it all come together, but in 2025, their vision became reality.
That summer, they unveiled their brand-new 36,000-square-foot facility - complete with a warehouse, offices, kitchens, and, most importantly, a retail store. For the Porras family, it felt like coming full circle, back to their roots in California when they first dreamed of creating a space for people to experience the joy of candy.
The new store, painted in “Sir Walter Green” with gold, white, and warm wood accents, is both nostalgic and modern. Visitors are greeted personally by a member of the family, given a tour of the space, and offered a sample of whatever treat was made fresh that day. To the right of the entrance, shelves are lined with chocolates, candied nuts, and ready-to-go gift baskets. Locally made artisan goods - like jewelry and picture frames - share space with Sir Walter’s confections, making it easy to build a one-of-a-kind gift.
Beyond the retail space, large glass windows reveal the magic of the four working kitchens. Guests can watch as caramel flows over popcorn, nuts are candied in copper kettles, and chocolate cascades like a waterfall over clusters and truffles. Information panels on the windows explain the process, and when time allows, a family member will even walk guests back for a closer look.
Toward the rear of the shop sits a gleaming display of Belgian chocolates made in-house, alongside whimsical favorites such as churro pretzels - buttery, cinnamon-sugar dipped pretzels baked in their ovens - and classic chocolate-covered strawberries. A “storefront kitchen” invites visitors to be candy makers themselves: choose milk, dark, or white Belgian chocolate, then adorn popcorn, waffles, or strawberries with an array of toppings to create a custom confection on the spot.
Finally, there is space to sit, relax, and enjoy the treats just crafted or selected. Families linger, children press close to the glass in awe, and couples make a night of sampling sweets. What the Porras family loves most is the look on customers’ faces when they step inside. “It is like a grandma feeling love from a grandchild,” Alfonso said. “That look of joy and warmth - it never gets old.”
For Alfonso, the store has been “a long time coming, with lots of challenges.” But he emphasizes that they never did it alone. “I was always able to find someone to extend a hand, just as Walter and Karen once did. That is why It is so important to Alfonso to give back to this community. "We don’t see this as just a business,” Alfonso reflected. “It is our family. And now it is our way of sharing family with the world.”
