Made in Central Oregon: Goody’s turns sweet treats into a Central Oregon tradition
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- For more than 40 years, Goody’s has been serving up more than candy and ice cream in Central Oregon — it has been creating memories for generations of families.
What began as a small homemade candy operation in Sunriver has grown into one of the region’s most recognizable brands, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year while maintaining the hometown charm that made it famous.
On busy summer afternoons in Sunriver and Downtown Bend, the line outside Goody’s often stretches out the door. Tourists and locals alike wait for scoops of ice cream, handmade chocolates, popcorn, and other classic treats that have become part of the Central Oregon experience.
But the story behind the beloved candy shop started in a much smaller setting.
“Back in 1984, Marne Palmateer was just a local mom making treats out of her kitchen,” said David Bergman, co-owner of Goody’s.
Palmateer’s homemade candies quickly became popular among neighborhood kids and visiting families in Sunriver. The demand eventually led she and her husband to open the first Goody’s storefront there.
Not long after, the company expanded to Bend, opening a second location in a historic building on Wall Street that dates back more than a century.
“And it took off and exploded,” Bergman said. “The building’s been there since, I think, 1920.”
Over the decades, Goody’s expanded across Oregon. Today, Bergman and his business partner Mark are the company’s fourth owners. Despite the growth, Bergman says the heart of the business has remained the same: creating a place tied to family memories and tradition.
“So many people that come in the store give us stories about when they came in as a kid,” Bergman said. “Either when they were on vacation in Sunriver or with their parents. They used to live here, and they come back to Goody’s. It’s like one of those destinations.”
That nostalgia has helped fuel Goody’s success in Central Oregon, where tourism brings a steady stream of customers through the doors every summer. According to Bergman, the company sees roughly 500,000 visitors during the busy season alone.
But the impact goes beyond tourism.
Goody’s has also become a longtime source of jobs for local families, with many employees getting their first work experience behind the candy counter. In some cases, multiple generations of the same family have worked at the shops.
“So many kids that work for us, their parents worked for us — a few, even their grandparents,” Bergman said.
Community involvement has long been central to the company’s mission. Before purchasing Goody’s, Bergman and his business partner worked together leading the parent-teacher committee at Tumalo School. They viewed the candy shop as another opportunity to bring people together.
“Every single person in America has that little candy store that they grew up in, making memories with their parents and their friends and their soccer team,” Bergman said. "And I think it's a little bit of what the country needs right now, is to be able to somehow make everyone have that feeling."
Now, Goody’s is expanding beyond the Pacific Northwest.
The company recently launched nationwide e-commerce shipping, with online orders already reaching customers in all 50 states. Bergman says the company has fulfilled more than 10,000 online orders in its first year alone.
Even as the business grows nationally, Bergman says Goody’s remains committed to its Central Oregon roots.
From Marionberry ice cream made with Oregon-grown berries to partnerships with Oregon State University on new products, innovation continues to happen locally.
“The more jobs we can create here in Central Oregon, we will have fulfilled our mission of continuing to make smiles,” Bergman said.
From homemade treats crafted in a Sunriver kitchen to a brand shipping sweets across America, Goody’s says its recipe for success is still built on tradition, community, and Central Oregon itself.
