George Haas & Sons

You are standing near the former Haas Candy Factory at 54 Mint Street, a narrow, five-story brick building that once served as the heart of one of San Francisco’s most famous confectionery empires. Built in 1906, this structure was designed by William Curlett, an architect better known for his grand mansions than for industrial plants. During its prime, the company was so prominent that its flagship shop in the Phelan Building was widely celebrated as the most beautiful candy store in the entire United States. The interior of those shops featured black-and-white tile floors, marble-topped soda fountains, and servers dressed in distinct uniforms resembling French maids. At their peak, George Haas and Sons produced over 1,500 varieties of candy, supplying their own local chain and a thousand other retail outlets across the country.