Lee's Candies — Attraction in Boise

We've been customers of Lee's since the 1980s. Lee's is a local favorite and it's always fun to walk around and see what they have on display. Attendants are certainly attentive and want to help. It's good to know they are there.

I've noticed a few things lately (in the last year) that I've mentioned to attendants and still don't have good answers. Combined, these issues are troubling enough such that I'm not sure I'll be back. Both candy quality (freshness) and customer care are suffering, in my experience.

One is how the attendant prepares my purchase for me to take home. I recently bought around $40 of chocolates for Easter. The 18-20 or so pieces (four different types, including mints) were all jumbled up in a small white bag. They weren't placed in the bag with care. I asked if she had a box and she said it costs extra. !!!

Usually, chocolatiers know to separate mints from non-mints, but they were all together.

For 18-20 pieces costing $40, think Lee's could put the candy neatly and thoughtfully in a box. Goody's, for example, always asks if i want my purchase in a box. When I asked if it cost extra (after my Lee's experience), the attendant just laughed and said "no!"

I heard the attendant say that the chocolates are all made fresh, right there. Yet when she came out from the back where she got my chocolates, I saw they all looked old. There was a white cast to the chocolate as if it wasn't made fresh at all. I tasted one and it was stale.

The other former practice that now is gone is offering customers samples. While I could probably get a sample of something specific if I wanted, the nice "would you like a sample?" Is gone. Whatever the reason for abandoning that, it's something I hope the management thinks about. If it's kids coming in just for samples, come up with a policy that works for all.

I get that businesses are tightening their operations even more now. The Lee's customer isn't like a Walmart shopper. We may save up our money to splurge for loved ones, and we expect the value of the product to be reflected in the way the product is presented (old or fresh; taking care with packing the items vs. tossing them all in a small bag.

I didn't feel good about my purchase. I foolishly got 18-20 pieces of what I hoped would be special Easter candy. But it was stale and packaged poorly.

I...

I rarely give ANY merchant or product five stars, but I feel very comfortable doing that for Lee's Candies!

I've been a customer for 60 years; as a child I'd go with Mom to the downtown Boise store, and grovel for her to get me a couple pieces of their pecan roll. (Still one of my favorites!) Lee Nokleby, the founder, is gone, and the store has relocated, but Lee's son Curtis maintains the tradition - handcrafted candies, using the finest ingredients. And - compared with offerings from other outlets, the prices are very reasonable! You can carry out, or they can package and ship gifts to places far and wide. (Be advised... shipping is only available during the cooler months of the year. The integrity of the product is paramount, and Lee's doesn't want the recipient to open a box of melted goop!)

The ambiance of the store is a treat for the nose and eyes, in and of itself. (A trip just to walk in and browse can be rewarding!)

I'm partial to the hand-dipped MILK chocolates, but they have an amazing variety in both milk and dark chocolate - smooth fillings, nutty fillings, chewy fillings. In addition, they have a variety of non-chocolate confections - mints, gum drops, salt water taffy, the aforementioned pecan rolls. They have these little balls that taste like caramel apples - out of this world! Don't overdose! haha

I give Lee's Candies my hearty, unqualified recommendation. Treat yourself, or treat a loved one who suffers from...

Lee’s Candies is a Boise family-owned and operated candy business that was founded by Lee Nokleby in 1947, using recipes his father developed. Originally located on Jefferson Street, in 1972, Lee’s Candies moved to the brand new Vista Village Shopping Center. In July 2024, they opened their second location in downtown Boise, right next door to another great business, City Peanut Shop. In 1983, Lee retired and passed the business onto his son Curtis, who continue to honor the family motto, “Never Change Your Quality.” In 2020, Curtis retired and passed the business on to a new family, father and daughter Ken and Katie Fernandez.

I have been visiting Lee’s Candies since my parents first took me there as a young child. The house made chocolates I buy today taste exactly the way they did decades ago. There are very few businesses that have been around for 77 years that have maintained the same level of quality they had when they first started. This is one of them.

Today, I was helped by a wonderful employee named Riley. He has worked there about three years. He was extremely knowledgeable about all the products and was incredibly helpful and answering all my questions. He did a great job of carefully packaging, my small assortment of chocolates and other items. The customer service was outstanding!

*Approximately 90% of the house made chocolates are gluten-free.

Highly...