Frostburg's Family Business

By: Alexandra Pieters 

Frostburg’s Family Business

            While walking around Frostburg’s Bicentennial celebration, one might be fascinated by the hundreds of records made available for purchase by a collector, dozens of handmade pieces of pottery, or the intricate details painted on jewelry made by a member of the community. But, what I found had a deeper meaning for the city of Frostburg. The family owned business, McFarland Candies, was established in Frostburg by the current owner’s grandfather in 1948. Usually, the sophisticated candy store is closed on Sunday’s which is why my attention was set on their rainbow colored “Open” flag.

As I passed by visitors just inside the door, I overheard a bit of their conversation with the current owner, Cindy Diamond. “Thank you so much for being open today!” the travelers exclaimed. As our conversation took off, Cindy told me many stories of how the business developed, about her children who currently attend Frostburg State University, and why she decided to open the store to the public for the big celebration. Mrs. Diamond claimed that she “felt bad” for the train riders and people coming to Frostburg for the Bicentennial celebration when no local establishments were open. “If I sit here for an hour and no one comes through the door, that’s fine. I’ll get things done in the back. I just want them to have the option,” she says.

Her enthusiasm for the business and her passion in keeping the people and visitors of Frostburg pleased was absolutely inspiring. She went on to say that her family also owns Acropolis, a Greek restaurant, and Diamond Lounge, a local bar (both located on Main Street). She smiled from ear to ear when describing her large, Greek, Notre Dame-loving family. She expressed her gratefulness for such a large family in a way that made me want to return to her store just for conversation.

As stated on the McFarland Candies website, www.mcfarlandcandies.com, “More than just chocolate, McFarland Candies represents history and tradition.” Any person walking into the store can hold that statement to be true. Just some of the chocolates offered inside the store are Homemade Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, Milk Caramel Truffles, Milk Tiramisu Truffles, and Chocolate Covered Twinkies. The amount of various types chocolates is overwhelming.

A Frostburg alumnae herself, Cindy majored in Psychology but admits that she is no longer in that field. However, she made it clear that she is very happy to be a part of running the family businesses that, together, greatly impact the locals of Frostburg and even the students that attend Frostburg State University. I, myself, could not believe that I had not stepped into McFarland Candies before venturing through the Frostburg Bicentennial celebration. Cindy shared that McFarland Candies might be branching out to students as well by setting up a table in the Lane University Center sometime in the near future. So, be sure to look out for their random Sunday openings and advertisements on the Frostburg State campus!