CHICAGO, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- The new owner of Marshall Field's mixed the sweet with the sour -- while the retailer's name will disappear, Frango mints may be made again in Chicago.
Federated Department Stores, which bought May Department Stores Co.'s nearly 500 stores, said the Marshall Field's name would be replaced with Macy's in a year-long reorganization.
Despite that bitter pill, Federated head Terry Lundgren held out the sweet prospect of resuming Chicago production of Field's signature candy in a meeting Tuesday with Mayor Richard Daley.
"Isn't this the Candy Capital of America?" Lundgren later told the Chicago Tribune editorial board. "This isn't going to break us, so my guess is if I can figure out how to do this economically ... and the talent base is here and the tradition is here, then it's a good idea."
The sweet touch paid off in a muted reaction from Daley, who said, "Things change in life."
Daley also was heartened that none of Federated's 6,200 layoffs would be in the Chicago area, a spokeswoman said.
