I’d like to try Charles Chips to compare to Old Dutch, but not at that online price.
Tri-Sum, a potato chip brand from Middle Massachusetts. Leominster and environs. Not unknown east of Rte. 128, but not common. In other words, “regional” if that word means anything at all. They know their market. You can tell their bag design has not changed in a long, long time.
H-E-B house brands would all be pretty much limited to Texas.
When Mrs. SMV and I cleaned out her mother’s house, we kept a Charles Chips tin, and, something I didn’t know about, Charles Cookies.
My childhood best friend Chris’ family used to get a weekly Charles Chips delivery; this was northeast Ohio in the early '80s. I was fascinated by the concept and the tins.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Goo Goo Clusters outside of middle Tennessee. They’re made in. Nashville. When we do the annual Straight Dope shot glass exchange, I always try to put a couple in my package.
Moon Pies are made in Chattanooga, but I think they have much wider distribution.
The packaging looked familiar for some reason, so
I clicked on “find a retailer”. It detected my location and immediately mentioned the Tractor Supply where we pick up horse feed.
ETA: western Pennsylvania
That makes sense! Tractor Supply’s headquarters is in Brentwood, just south of Nashville, so I could see them shipping them to their retail outlets.
Just another reason to love Tractor Supply!!
They do some things right. The one we stop at has several cashiers who are in wheelchairs. The one cashier told us she didn’t need to be able to walk to man a cash register.
I live in Eastern Washington and I know I’ve seen them for sale here.
There was Goo Goo Cluster liqueur too. I don’t know where it was made. My sister had a bottle. Probably still does. It was bad.
Edited to add: made by Cluster Liqueur Ltd., Somerville, MA
Years ago I was on a Delta flight where they passed out Goo-Goo Clusters instead of the usual peanuts/pretzels.
And by extension Central Market as well.
Brook’s ketchup and Plochman’s mustard were the standards in my youth. Central Indiana also had Seyfert’s potato chips, but they went out of business a while back.
In central Indiana, there were Bun candies (can you call a round confection a candy bar?) instead of Goo Goo clusters. Also, there were Clark bars which I always liked better than Butterfingers. I really don’t know if Clark bars were regional, but I haven’t seen them in the south. Another regional goody that is gone now was Archway cookies.
Originally made in Fort Wayne, IN Bun bars are now made by Pearson’s in St. Paul, MN. Mmmm, Maple Bun bar.
I think Clark bars are still around, but not in my region. I adored Archway’s Molasses cookies.
Archway was sold in 2006. The brand has been drastically reduced but is still being made. They even have a locator you can use to see if they’re available near you. Snyder's-Lance Product Locator – Find your favorite
We definitely had them in Tennessee when I was growing up. Give me a C, give me an L, ARK; give me a Clark Bar.
When I was a kid, there was a big Clark Bar sign in Pittsburgh. Was it on the North Side? I think it’s been gone for decades.
Archway exists in New England. In supermarkets they are always on the bottom shelf, so not easy to spot. Windmill cookies are my favorite.
Also common at Ocean State Job Lot. Now there’s a regional chain for you.
Nope. No apricot cookies in the cardboard tray.