Nevaeh Maria, Melissa “Birdie” Vasquez and Tony Vasquez make up the three generations that have kept Candy’s going for two decades.
Polly Anna Rocha/MySA
When a space opened up next to San Antonio City Hall, it signaled a new chapter for Candy’s Old Fashion Burgers, a time-honored burger joint that spent 18 years in a 900-square-foot space on South Flores Street. Now in its 20th year in business, Candy’s lives in a new home in the heart of downtown, as generations of the Vasquez family still power the treasured shop.
Tony Vasquez was a restaurant manager long before he opened Candy’s with his wife on November 30, 2006, but when the opportunity arose to launch his own restaurant, the family man took it. Growing up in Austin, Vasquez became accustomed to a certain kind of burger that he didn’t see often served in San Antonio, so he drew inspiration from Austin eateries, like Johnny Boy’s and King Burger, to formulate the original Candy’s menu.
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“My goal was to have a really good burger, old-fashioned, kind of like the old days, so that’s how we kicked it off over there. Nothing but burgers and sandwiches,” Vasquez told MySA during a sit-down interview at the restaurant.
Candy’s Old Fashion got its name from Vasquez’s daughter-in-law, Candy, an early supporter of the restaurant, which has long been a family affair. Melissa “Birdie” Vasquez, daughter of Tony Vasquez, was pregnant with her own daughter when the business opened in 2006, and after giving birth, she soon joined her parents in running things at Candy’s.
Candy’s has been around in San Antonio since 2006.
Polly Anna Rocha/MySA
Bacon cheese burger and the mushroom Swiss burger from Candy’s Old Fashion.
Polly Anna Rocha/MySA
Today, Birdie Vasquez and her daughter, Nevaeh Maria, still work at Candy’s, with Vasquez taking over for her father following his retirement. In 2024, Candy’s moved to its current location at 115 Plaza de Armas, a spacious suite with a lot more breathing room than the eatery’s first location. When the restaurant moved so did its customers, who were happy to head to the new address to get their old-fashioned burgers.
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“It’s important to make people feel special, so little things of knowing what people are going to drink before they come in the restaurant, knowing their name, remembering little details about them that they had mentioned before became really, really important, and even now…” Birdie Vasquez said before stopping to greet a longtime customer by name.
Longtime San Antonio burger joint endures
Like long-standing restaurants that came before it, Candy’s didn’t get to where it is without hardship. Tony Vasquez mentioned the earlier days being particularly difficult, when the shop was still finding its footing, and, of course, when the COVID-19 pandemic all but halted businesses like Candy’s in 2020. Ultimately, it was determination and the Vasquez family’s knack for working together that got them through the toughest times.
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“COVID was tough. It was tough. We saw so many businesses shut down, and we are very fortunate to have a very supportive family,” Birdie Vasquez said. “So we all ended up coming together, working together.”
Salads were a later addition at Candy’s, but now, they’re a popular order at the burger shop.
Polly Anna Rocha/MySA
Candy’s Old Fashion Burgers is an example of what happens when a dream gets passed on from one generation to another. It grows, and it evolves into something new, just as Candy’s has gone from serving classic burgers to offering fun riffs over the years, like the barbecue bacon cheddar burger or the chili cheeseburger. Whatever you decide to order, the Vasquez family and its team will serve it up with a smile and a side of fries.
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Finds it: 115 Plaza de Armas, Suite 107, San Antonio, TX 78205