Two Tumalo dads have made it their mission to carry on the nearly 40-year legacy of Goody’s candy store.

The pair met at Tumalo Community School’s parent-teacher committee. The organization’s president, Mark Strelcheck, and vice president, Dave Bergman, set out to rebuild the school’s community following the isolating years of the pandemic.

Bergman, 59, settled in Tumalo to raise his two children after a 30-year career as a New York lawyer. Strelcheck, 47, exited his role in the hospitality industry to facilitate online learning for his children during COVID-19.

Together, the duo worked to bolster the school’s programs, raising money to hire and fund a music teacher and math interventionist.

Eventually Strelcheck said they found themselves “yearning for a bigger purpose and adult conversation.”

And that was exactly what Bergman found in Goody’s for-sale listing.

A Central Oregon legacy

Goody’s was founded in 1985 in Sunriver by Marne and Marion Palmateer. It evolved from selling assorted candy for resale to selling chocolate crafted in the Palmateers’ home, to the popular ice cream shop patronized by families in The Village at Sunriver.

“It’s almost a rite of passage to stand in line for 30 minutes in the summer as the line weaves through the village,” Strelcheck said.

Goody’s longtime location in downtown Bend, on the other hand, has started to lose its allure. The new owners plan to refresh the space by focusing on customer service, culture and renovations, Strelcheck said.

“We’re going to try to add some seating and we’re going to bring back the bar — the soda fountain bar,” he said. Bergman said, “We’re going to make that downtown store into a totally renovated community hang-out, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor with modern touches that honors the 40 years of tradition.”

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Revitalizing the Goody’s brand

Pop Rocks, Hubba Bubba bubblegum and Warheads line the shelves of Goody’s in downtown Bend next to gummy-flavored Lunchables, sushi, tacos and pizza.

But the business’ specialty is its chocolate, ice cream and popcorn, which have been made with the same recipes for the past 40 years, Bergman said. No waxes or preservatives are used. The chocolates are fashioned with Guittard cocoa and the ice cream is made with dairy milk from Eberhard’s.

Bags of popcorn flavored with caramel, peanut butter chocolate and a mix of cheese and caramel (Chicago-style) has long been one of the company’s overlooked products, said the owners.

Soon, its popcorn will be available across the Pacific Northwest through an expanded online presence.

Bergman said, “My function is to give this brand the polish that it deserves and to do that, I am building a very robust e-commerce program.”

The company’s ice cream will also be more widely available to the Central Oregon community through a trailer purchased from Eberhard’s. It’ll grace festivals and the NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market. The trailer is also slated to be parked outside the factory store on Division Street, which is closed to the public to be used as a fulfillment center for online sales.

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Coming together over candy

For employees, Goody’s has served as a place of employment for their siblings, parents and grandparents, Bergman said. And as Central Oregon has changed drastically, the candy store has more or less stayed the same.

Goody’s ability to invoke generations of the past becomes increasingly important as the surrounding areas continue to change, Bergman said. The enduring sweet shop serves as a longstanding connector across generations and belief systems.

“In a world where people have conflict because of things they can or can’t discuss, everybody can commune over ice cream,” Bergman said.

The two Tumalo dads have signed a lease in downtown Bend through 2039 and intend to be in the business for the long haul. Bergman is considering how to build the company so that one day his kids and grandkids can take it over.

“We’re just excited for Bend to fall in love with Goody’s again,” he said.

Details

What: Goody’s

Location: 957 NW Wall St., Bend and The Village at Sunriver, 57100 Beaver Drive, Sunriver

Contact: goodyschocolates.com, @goodyschocolates

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday