Pearl and B.D. Kehr met at a ballroom in Milwaukee; and were married in 1930. In 1931,
early in the Great Depression, the young couple decided to open a store to make and sell
caramel corn and potato chips. Little capital was necessary. "All we needed was
sugar, butter, popcorn and potatoes," B.D. Kehr said. As a hedge, Pearl Kehr
continued to work at a clothing manufacturer for a few months. After the first year, they
set up a divider in the store and lived on one side while making food on the other. Soon,
they discovered caramel corn alone did not produce enough income, so they began making
candy.
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They bought recipes from salesmen who dropped by and learned how to cook the candy.
Their first product was chocolate fudge. The Kehrs moved to several different buildings in
the block before settling in at 3413 W. North Ave. They continued running it until their
retirement. In the early l940s they opened the store on Lisbon. Although they bought candy
from other manufacturers, the Kehrs made about 70% of their stock themselves.
