The "conversation valentines" known as Sweethearts won't be available for Valentine's Day this year, the first time since 1901. But Krispy Kreme is filling the void in our souls with... Conversation Donuts!
I never actually knew what they were called until now, but conversation valentines are small, chalky candies that contain little messages: BE MINE, KISS ME, CUTIE PIE... you get the picture, right? Necco made these colorful candies under the brand name Sweethearts for more than 130 years; but despite their popularity, they weren't enough to sustain the company. Necco went out of business last year.
No worries, because Spangler Candy Company bought the rights to make Sweethearts going forward. Just one little problem: Spangler didn't have production set up in time for Valentine's Day 2019. But in a press release, the company said they'd be back for 2020.
Sniffing an opportunity, the marketing department at Krispy Kreme decided to fill the void with conversation heart donuts. The donuts will be available in four flavors -- Cake Batter, Strawberries and Kreme, Raspberry, and Chocolate Kreme -- and will be available at Krispy Kreme locations from January 30th until February 14th. And just like the Sweethearts they're replacing for the year, the donuts will have a bunch of cute sayings: BE MINE, LOVE, I ♥ U...
Your other option for conversation hearts is Brach's, which sells more or less the same candy that Necco did. And conveniently, they are still in business.
With or without Necco, it looks like conversation hearts are here to stay.