Candy Kitchen

Closed until further notice. I stopped 9÷19÷15. Husband who ran it died and they couldn’t find anyone to work. (According to the owner)

For a big slice of Iowa history (and a big helping of homemade ice cream), take a short detour south off I-​80 to Wilton.
As is requested on their website, I called prior. They were open; we were in business.
Candy Kitchen serves up deli sandwiches, and homemade ice cream and chocolates. I had a towering serving of butter pecan ice cream satisfied my sweet tooth many times over. My husband ordered a phosphate and was very happy with his selection. We enjoyed and admired as we sat on the stools indulging our treats. I felt like a kid again. I love when an experience makes me feel that way.
It’s safe to say that owners George and Thelma are celebrities in these parts, so much so that another couple in the shop asked to take a photo with them. George was especially fantastic, serving up ice cream and treats with great sense of humor.
I look forward to visiting again!

Traveled all the way from New York to California on a road trip and had this place down as one of our stops. It was to be one of the highlights of our trip to visit one of the oldest soda fountain shops still operating in the United States.
We saw in other reviews that the shop had random hours and their website recommended that long distance travlers call first to verify if they would be open. We were at The World’s Largest Truck Stop about half an hour away and called to see if we could patronize their establishment within the hour. We were told that they would be open until 4:30 pm that day, barring any unforseen emergencies. We arrive approximately 35 minutes from our phone call and to our bitter disappointment, the shop was closed. The Will Return sign indicated that they would return 10 minutes prior to our arrival, yet no one was there!
Needless to say, we were very disheartened because we really wanted to visit this place, not just to satisfy our sweet tooth, but to appreciate some history along our route home.

Decided to stop by on the way to CA from NY. I read reviews suggesting that you should call beforehand to make sure that it was open since the place doesn’t have set hours. We called and the owner said he would be there all day. We told him we would be there in 30 minutes. When we pulled up, the sign said closed. WTF? Super disappointed. We probably could have called the guy again but if he doesn’t make the time and effort to be there when we said we would, why should I spend my money to support his business?

We went on an Ice Cream Tour and found a true slice of small town America.
George and Thelma Noupolos are a wonderful living homage to what America is all about and can still be to this day. They built the American Dream on ice cream. The home made Butter pecan was marvelous, the hand made phosphate – you must try the Pink Lady – was perfectly mixed. a perfection that comes only a lifetime of serving quality ice cream and creating the perfect drink.
Sit down at the bar, talk with George and Thelma, they are wonderful, George likes to kid you about being from a big city, and Thelma keeps George and the register going.
Their parents immigrated from Greece and they met when they were small. They even have pictures of when Gregory Peck and Brook Shields when each visited.
Their prices are truly inexpensive for the quality product they provide. We tipped them, because we knew their prices are below any other ice cream shop we visited on our tour.
If you are in Moline, you must pop over to Wilton to experience what a small town ice cream and soda shop is all about. You will leave with a glimpse into the Americana of Yesteryear and a full belly of treats. Truly a place you do NOT want to miss.
and don’t forget to sign the register book!

This is an institution that every American should make a pilgrimage to visit. Charming town, charming Nopoulos family, great ice cream and old time soda fountain treats that you just don’t find anywhere else any more. Stop playing on the internet and go get a banana split and a hadacol phosphate.

When a trip down memory lane is in order, you need to look no further than the Candy Kitchen in Wilton, IA!
The home of George and Thelma, the 91 and 80 y/​o, respectively, proprieters of one of the olderest still running soda shops in the USA. George is going on 85 years of working there and Thelma has a cool 70 under her belt. The décor outside lets you know some goodness is going on inside and one step in the door and your transported back to a time when life was a little less busy and a trip downtown was a special occasion!
George and Thelma effectively put on a show the entire time we were there as George was spitting one liners fast than a «Yo Mama’s so fat» session.
This locale was first a candy shop in 1860 and has been serving up the same stuff since 1910! Walking in, you are immediately greeted by a 20’s style bar and soda fountains. They serve up just about any type of ice cream concoction you can think of and have roughly 20 flavors of soda. The best part is they mix the soda in front of you old school style — Syrup + soda water + spoonage! Seriously rad! The red river (cherry, strawberry and vanilla) and the green river (citrus + vanilla) were both amazing!
The best part is that many of the prices are 20’s-esk with small pops (which are still good size) are less than $ 1.
This is a must stop for anyone who is a fan of soda, ice cream, freedom, liberty or the USA! An experience unique to almost anywhere we’ve been and a place that is quickly becoming too infrequent. Hands down one of the top 2 or 3 places we’ve been this year as a measure of both quality and the experience. A true bite of Americana in a town you’d probably never stop in otherwise.
Bottom line — This is a place you must visit before the opportunity isn’t there any longer!