Kay's Candies offers sweet Valentine's Day treats

ROSEMONT, Ill. (WLS) -- Valentine's Day is coming up, and if you haven't already started thinking about how to treat your sweetie - then now's the time to do it!

This industrial area of Rosemont doesn't look much like an old-fashioned candy store, but inside, Kay Giglio and her son Michael are co-owners of a sweet piece of Chicago history. Kay's Candies started on Chicago's North Side a long time ago.

Kay is 88 now, but says she's been in the business since she was 22.

"I went to school and learned how to make candy and I started, started and kept going," she said.

The Giglio family had three different candy shops over the years and then opened an online candy store 10 years ago. It's always been a family affair, but with only one boss.

"She's the boss," Michael said.

"I am the boss," Kay said. "Because I started this little business 60 years ago and I just feel like it's always mine."

The recipes have never changed since 1950 and they still turn out over 25 varieties. All natural, no preservatives and everything is done by hand.

"The hardest worker you've ever seen. Doesn't stop. Gets up five in the morning and goes to bed at ten o'clock at night. Eighty eight years old," Michael said.

She tried retiring once but that lasted about thirty seconds. She missed the daily work fix.

"That's the end, when I retire it's the end. I don't want that to happen. I want to keep going," Kay said.

Sunday is Valentine's Day, so they are extra busy here packing boxes for lovers of chocolate and lovers of love.

"When a woman gets a good box of chocolates she kisses that guy like crazy," Kay said.

You can get a box for yourself and your valentine at KaysCandies.com.