Brandini Toffee staff works round the clock to meet holiday demand

When Diane Choate shops at Brandinni Toffee in Rancho Mirage, she buys in bulk.

“Six boxes of their toffee boxes, four tins for stocking stuffers,” Choate said.

Faithfuls like Choate always loved Brandini, but when this summer’s Presidential Summit called for a special presidential toffee, “Since then it’s been really busy. People coming in for quick gift ideas,” Brandini Co-founder Brandom Weimer said.

Especially now, Brandini’s busiest time of the year.

“Every time I give it they ask, ‘Where is it?’ Everyone wants to come in here now,” Choate said.

So Weimer and co-founder Leah Post have to keep up with growing demand. A long way from when the two started making toffee seven years ago in highschool, they now have a lot for customers to look at in a bigger store.

One of the new features is a viewing area so customers can watch their toffee getting made.

“A lot of people come in and don’t know we make the candy here let alone that it’s hand packed, hand-made all the way through the process now you can see it,” Weimer said.

With more demand than ever, and an increased holiday staff, viewers have even more to look at.

“It’s a cool thing that now we really have generated buzz, people can get toffee milkshakes, little things on the side. We started with just toffee then we started thinking how can we use toffee for other products,” Weimer said.

You can buy those products sold in specialty stores around the country, and in Canada, but no one loves it as much as the desert.

“It’s part of the valley. I love it,” Choate said.

Brandini Toffee is located in Rancho Mirage at 42560 Bob Hope Drive.