Palmer's Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe

"Like a phoenix, or a very gooey chocolate, the history of the Bing was birthed in flame. Family patriarch Edward Cook Palmer moved to Sioux City, Iowa in 1878, after his Michigan home burned down, and he bought a wholesale grocery business after arriving. Originally specializing in fruit, but by the 1900s, the company diversified into candy.  The 1920s were a time of candy bar experimentation, and the origins of the Bing are murky. But in 1923, a member of the company had the inspired ideal to add a nut hash to the top of their nougat and chocolate candy ball, and the Bing was born. Originally produced in maple, vanilla, pineapple, and cherry, it is the cherry Bing that is best known today. The Bing proved so popular that the company eventually focused all its efforts on the candy business, and the fruit company closed its doors in 1969. Bings were originally sold individually, but by the 1960s, inflation had doubled the price of most candy bars from five to 10 cents. As inflation threatened to increase the price of the Bing further, the Palmer company decided to offer more Bing for the buck. The unusual shape of the Bing meant that it would be too big to fit in a vending machine if enlarged, so each package would instead contain two Bings. The product was renamed the Twin Bing in 1973. The change was a hit, and the two familiar mounds of chocolate became a grocery staple, even celebrating its 100th birthday in 2023 "