Oct. 8, 2021

Young & Richards’ fudge has returned to downtown Sioux Falls.

The Cookie Jar Eatery has started making the fudge under the guidance of Jerry Palleschi, who retired earlier this year with his wife, Cindy, and closed Young & Richards Flowers.

Initially, Palleschi planned to make the fudge in Minnesota, where the couple moved, and sell it through Child’s Play Toys, continuing to make it available in the same block on Phillips Avenue. Licensing in the neighboring state, however, “is very hard,” he said, so he reached out to Glen and Elaine Koch, who own and operate The Cookie Jar.

Now, it will be available at the toy shop, 233 S. Phillips Ave., and at the restaurant in Shriver Square across the street.

Child’s Play Toys offers more extensive store hours than the restaurant, which is open only for lunch Tuesday through Friday.

The Cookie Jar will sell a variety of flavors in different sizes, and the toy store will have it in prepackaged half-pound boxes.

Child’s Play Toys owner Nancy Savage is excited about the partnership.

“This is such fun. I like all of them so much,” she said of the two couples. “It’s a winner.”

This week, as Palleschi was teaching the Kochs how to make the fudge, they prepared nine of the 150 flavors, starting with options ranging from regular milk chocolate and mint to praline and cookies & cream.

Special orders are available, and there are options for fundraising too, Elaine Koch said.

At Young & Richards, Palleschi made the fudge a couple of time a week, starting in 2013.

“I would make 400 to 500 pounds,” he said. “It gets busy. During the holidays, starting next month, we were averaging almost a ton a month.”

Palleschi also made and sold flavored nuts at the flower shop, and they’ll also be coming to The Cookie Jar eventually.

“We will be doing the nuts,” Glen Koch said. “I just don’t know how soon.”