Sweet Adeline

Addy Thompson is a busy girl. Balancing school, dance, friends, and family, the eleven-year-old entrepreneur spends time in the kitchen, alongside her father Matt Thompson, cooking and creating yummy treats sold at locations around the island and available online to a devoted and growing clientele.  

A sixth grader at Glynn Middle School, Addy is the founder of Adeline’s Candy Co., a St. Simons-based candy company. Her delectable collection includes chocolates, seasonal sweets, and her most famous delight, sea salt caramels: “The treat that started it all,” says mom Christa Thompson. 

“Our sea salt caramel is the fan favorite,” says Addy. “It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty.”

They make batches according to demand and cooking ramps up during the holidays, especially around Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. “It really varies,” says Addy on batch load, “we might make a batch of each caramel, or we might even double a batch.” Easter has kept them busy with popular coconut and peanut butter filled chocolate eggs.

What started as a family tradition, a cherished caramel recipe from Christa’s great-grandmother, quickly grew after Addy won a prize in the Golden Isles Children’s Business Fair in October 2024. Now, Addy and her family are making candy for gifts, weddings, and local retailers, including Whippersnappers Toys, Two Friends, Uncle Don’s Local Market, and even the store in the Visitor’s Center at Fort Frederica National Monument. 

“We don’t always know what kind of orders we’re going to get. Some days we might be cutting caramels; other days we could be wrapping them. We definitely cook a lot more around the holidays.”

Addy Thompson, Founder, Adeline’s Candy Company

Whippersnappers Toys at 600 Sea Island Road, Suite 9, acts as the young candy company’s pick-up home base for local online orders. “Matt and I are buddies. We work out and go running together,” shares Whippersnappers Toys owner Patrick Jeter. “Even before Adeline’s was Adeline’s, he told me about the candy, and I said we’d be happy to sell the candy in the store once the company is up and running.”

“I like being their home base for online order pick-up. Anytime a small business like ours can support another local small business like theirs, it’s a win-win, especially when the business started by a young person. That’s what makes this island so special.”

—Patrick Jeter, Owner, Whippersnappers Toys

Despite her young age, Addy is already thinking about the future, which includes an eventual retail store on the island. “I’d like to open a store here and then as we grow, open one in a larger population area,” she adds. Her entrepreneurial eye on all the angles, Addy is thinking ahead…about logistics! “The place has to have a lot of parking options,” she adds. “Because if there’s not good parking then it’s definitely going to be hard to get people to stop.”

Not in any rush, Addy manages to keep life and “work” in perspective. “I like the pace we’re at now because it’s not overwhelming. I still have time for my afterschool activities, studying, and having fun.”