When driving east on I-90, out of the typical American buildings emerges a little piece of the Austrian Alps: the Edelweiss Chalet that houses Boehm’s Candies.
And this summer, the legendary confectionery company turns 60 years old. Fans of Boehm’s are invited to the shop’s Grand Celebration on Aug. 10.
Over the decades, Boehm’s has built up a reputation as a Seattle-area staple for sweets. The fame is not only statewide; this year, Boehm’s owner Bernard Garbusjuk was inducted into the National Candy Hall of Fame.
Upon entering Boehm’s, visitors at once step out of the bustling suburbs and into a Tirolean-style house, where they are greeted with a blend of American small-business spirit and European old-world charm. Cowbells and paintings of Austrian mountains grace the walls, and a low ceiling with wooden rafters gives such a feeling of being tucked away in an Alpine cabin that one would almost listen for yodelers.
Austrian-born Julius Boehm, the founder of the store that bears his name, brought many elements of his heritage with him when he emigrated to America. The result is a unique shop that gives customers a cultural lesson at the same time that it sells them delectable desserts.
The Boehm’s team points to the cultural influence as one reason for the candy shop’s longevity.
“Julius learned to present the art and craft and rustic feel of Germany, Austria, Switzerland … everything is his skillful rendering of how to make his European homeland special,” said Garbusjuk, who has owned Boehm’s since Julius’ death in 1981.
“For our area, we’re very unique,” said Garbusjuk’s daughter, Narissa Garbusjuk Burton, a member of the Boehm’s team. “I don’t think there are a lot of places with this kind of historical background — it’s an experience to come here.”
Boehm wore many hats throughout his early years before settling down in Issaquah. Born to a family of piano manufacturers in Vienna, Austria — a city famous for its delicious pastries — Boehm started out in his family’s trade. However, making musical instruments was not Boehm’s only talent; he served in the Austrian cavalry during the days when horses still played a major role in military, and participated in two summer Olympics — as a 400-meter relay runner in the 1924 Paris Games, and as a torchbearer for the 1936 Games in Berlin.
After the Nazis took over Austria in 1938, Boehm emigrated to the U.S. He started out on the East Coast, but made his way to Seattle when he heard that the mountainous scenery of the Pacific Northwest resembled his Alpine homeland. Boehm decided to follow in the footsteps of his pastry chef grandfather and opened a candy shop in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle with his friend George Tedlock, before relocating to Issaquah in 1956 so that he could be closer to his beloved mountains.
German-born Garbusjuk, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1958, came on board as part of the chocolate production team in 1972, and learned the ropes for nine years before taking over the business.
Chocolate creation is in Garbusjuk’s blood; his cousin is Norbert Fürst, owner of the prestigious Salzburg, Austria chocolate shop and café Konditorei Fürst, founded in 1884. The Fürsts are famous for creating the original Mozartkugel, a pistachio-marzipan truffle bearing Salzburg-born Mozart on the wrapper; the little chocolate balls have become a symbol of Austria and have been copied by many knockoff brands.
The Mozartkugel is an example of a homeland relic that traveled with Julius Boehm to Washington. The Boehm’s Mozartkugel is “more gooey” than the truffle his relatives make, said Garbusjuk, but this is what makes it individual.
The world that is Boehm’s is not confined to the shop and production rooms; the business’s free tours also venture upstairs to Julius Boehm’s former home in the top floor of the chalet, where an eclectic collection of European antiques gives visitors an insight into his life. Items ranging from a set of Hofbräuhaus beer steins, to the Olympic torch Boehm carried, to an old-fashioned Austrian masonry heater in the corner of the living room dot the space. Copies of well-known artistic masterpieces can be found in each room, including a marble statue of Michaelangelo’s “David” that dominates the hallway.
“Julius has a lot of presence here,” Garbusjuk said. “I’m just the messenger.”
Stepping outside of the Austrian oasis, visitors find yet another surprise: a courtyard with a bonafide rendition of a Swiss mountain chapel. The church features more renditions of Renaissance artwork, including Michaelangelo’s “Pieta,” and a bell that Garbusjuk rings every New Year. Garbusjuk said that about 20 to 30 couples get married in the church every year. The courtyard also provides a peaceful place for locals who may be having a hard time to come and find solace by sitting in nature.
“They are using me for more than a retailer. It makes me feel good,” Garbusjuk said.
Even the Boehm’s kitchen, despite busily producing a total of 160 different kinds of chocolates, feels more heartfelt than the typical factory. Decades-long employees lovingly mold, dip and design truffles by hand as a skilled trade.
“Family-run businesses are a unique thing in this day and age,” said Dede Salemann, who has worked on and off at Boehm’s since 1981. “I feel like supporting that.”
She said that the Boehm’s chocolate production staff is a real family because “everybody does every [task]… we all pitch in and do what needs to be done.”
Boehm’s also represents a tradition for the community. After the city of Issaquah sent out an email asking people to share their memories of Boehm’s, Burton said she got “20 or 30” emails in just the first day. Many locals said that it had been a family tradition to work at the sweet shop.
“When people come on a tour and have a great experience, they want to show it to their kids. It’s multi-generational,” Burton said. “We create memories. I don’t feel like it’s just a shop.”
