Lammes Candies looked like it had reached the end of its 141-year run when the Austin confectionery announced in April that it would close, citing “changing market conditions and the long-term sustainability of our operations.”
But its death was short-lived. Craig Cavileer and Kayla Wilkie-Kinne, the Fort Worth duo behind Delightful Development Co., have made their mark reviving Texas icons like the Fort Worth Stockyards. Now they are stepping in to rescue one of Austin’s oldest and most beloved candy shops.
Delightful Development has acquired Lammes, with the Lamme family remaining involved in the transition and preservation of the company’s recipes and traditions. The first sweets are already on their way back: Sherbet Mints, Longhorns, and Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines in legacy boxes.
“Our vision isn’t to change what Lammes Candies is known for,” Wilkie-Kinne said in the announcement of the sale. “It’s to bring back the legacy recipes, traditions and heritage that made Lammes so special for 141 years.”
For now, Lammes’ return is happening solely online. A separate Austin developer purchased the former Lammes building this spring.
Preorders open September 29 at noon, with nationwide shipping beginning November 1. A fuller relaunch is planned for spring 2027, although no brick-and-mortar plans have been announced yet. Texans will be able to buy products from retail locations around the state.
Lammes’ holiday Sherbet Mints are among the first sweets returning in a limited legacy-box run.Photo courtesy of Lammes Candies
For generations of customers, Lammes was tied not just to candy, but to holiday gift boxes, Valentine’s chocolate-covered strawberries, chewy pralines, and the familiar candy cane pole outside its Airport Boulevard shop.
Lammes’ history began downtown. David T. Lamme Sr. opened his first candy shop at Eighth and Congress in 1885, later moving to 919 Congress and establishing the Red Front Candy Shop. The company’s chewy pecan pralines date to the 1890s, when Lamme used pecans from trees along the Colorado River. The lamb logo was adopted so customers would know how to pronounce the family name.
Over the decades, Lammes grew from a downtown candy shop into one of Austin’s most recognizable legacy businesses. Its Airport Boulevard factory opened in 1956, marked by the neon lamb sign and striped candy cane pole. Three generations of the Lamme family ran the business there, helping make the store a recognizable stop for Austin holidays, gifts, and candy-counter classics.
The company eventually became known well beyond Austin for its Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines and Longhorns, made with chocolate, caramel, and pecans.
Cavileer and Wilkie-Kinne previously worked on the modern redevelopment of the Fort Worth Stockyards, including Mule Alley and Hotel Drover. Delightful Development has also purchased the historic Williamson County Jail in Georgetown, another landmark property being considered for adaptive reuse. Their new company was founded in 2025 to develop hospitality destinations and build on legacy brands in Texas.
“Lammes Candies is more than a confection and candy company,” Wilkie-Kinne said in the release. “It’s a significant piece of Texas history that Craig and I will honor, preserve, and celebrate with future generations of Texans and customers around the country.”
Lammes Christmas and Easter Sherbet Mints will also be available at select Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations nationwide. Details on future restocks and new releases have not yet been announced. Updates will be posted at lammes.com and on Instagram.
