Patrick Magee grew up in Philomath, graduated from OSU, and later spent three years working in Germany. When he returned, he got a job as a confectioner for a small candy store named Burst’s. After working less than a year there, the owner sold him the business.
Burst’s is a Corvallis tradition, founded in 1938 by Rhea and Charlie Burst. The Bursts sold the store to Ralph Batmen, who passed it on to Don and Rosemary Burck before Magee bought it in 1996. This is all laid out in Magee’s own history of the company, which is located on the Burst’s website.
Throughout the decades, it has been a fixture in the city and an example of how a small business offers more to a community than just a point of purchase. Magee continues that legacy today.
Did you ever anticipate working at or owning a candy store?
No. My degree is in Horticulture. After college I volunteered a year at schools in Corvallis — I thought I wanted to go into education — and then took a year of classes at LBCC, just some classes that were fun. I met some people and got a job that allowed me to live in Germany. While I was there I cooked, and when I came back I just needed a job, so I got one at the candy store. Then after six months the owner decided it was time to pass it along, so he sold it to me.
What's your favorite candy that you sell?
Whatever I make that day! Yesterday we made Divinity — that was so good — and today we made brittle, so I ate a lot of brittle. I also really like beavers; they're like turtles, with nuts and caramel.
What do you think small local businesses offer to a community?
Bursts’s offers tradition. People's grandparents have purchased items there, and their parents, and they do, and now they're purchasing things for their kids. And a lot of small businesses are able to cater to their customers. If somebody wants something, we can work to get that in for them. It's also very personal. We know many of our customers by name, and they come in to see us.
How unique is Bursts' in the region? Are there any other candy stores like it in the area?
There aren’t any in Corvallis. Lebanon has one. Albany had a couple, but they've gone out of business. Eugene has a couple, Salem has a couple.
The barrier to a lot of candy businesses is the equipment. There's a lot of value in that, and if you want to have a storefront and pay your employees, you have to have the equipment. The person I bought the store from used to hand-dip creams, and it would take two people four hours to make a batch. Three of us can do that in less than an hour now because of the equipment.
Do you continue to make candy, or has your role in the company changed now that you own the store?
I keep making it; usually I make most or all of it. I have two young men who help me in the kitchen, and we all work together on it. One piece of equipment that I have takes all three people to use.
What's something that you enjoy about your job, and what has been a challenge?
I've always enjoyed making things. It took me until I was older to appreciate that I enjoyed that. I'm not a real thinker — I have a college degree, so I think enough, but I really like to be doing, and making, and producing.
When I was younger, the challenge was staying focused. I was kind of scattered. Now that I'm older, that's less of a challenge.
A more practical challenge is that our facility is in the basement, so everything that we manufacture has to be carried downstairs. I have 1300 pounds of chocolate coming next week in 50 pound boxes. I have to schedule that, so I'm not the one carrying 1300 pounds of chocolate down the stairs.
How has Corvallis changed while you've lived in the area?
Corvallis has become much more diverse of a community in its government and representation. It used to be just a bunch of white older men who ran everything, and now you have people with different backgrounds. You have a much more diverse group of people that you draw on.
OSU has grown a lot, and the success that OSU has really impacts downtown. But because OSU has grown, they've done a much better job keeping people on campus.
Back in the ’80s and ’90s, the biggest shopping day for a lot of women's boutiques was OSU Moms' Weekend. That was the biggest. Bigger than Christmas, bigger than anything. OSU realized that it was much better for them to keep those moms on campus than let them wander around and spend their money outside of campus. And now that day is just like any other day.
How have COVID restrictions affected you?
We're coming up on a year here. We never had to shut down because we fall into the grocery category, but we quickly changed our business model. We moved everything online and encouraged people to order for curbside pickup or delivery. On Easter we might have a hundred people come in in a day, and last year we may have had ten. But we were still selling in the same volume.
We've also taken advantage of the Payroll Protection money, and that's supplemented when our sales aren't as strong.
Do you have advice for people who want to start a business?
I make things, and people have to be willing to buy them. If you want to make something to sell — which is different from providing a service — you should start making that and see if people are willing to buy it. It's easy to have ideas, but if nobody wants to buy that it's not going to work.
I took business classes at LBCC, so that would be important. Take advantage of whatever support is available to you.
Get involved in the community. A lot of the relationships I have are because I volunteered — I was on boards for the Downtown Corvallis Association, the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation, and the LBCC Budget Committee. I tried to be involved in the community, and that really helped.
Do you plan to pass along the business like people have before you?
Yes. Somebody will come along at the right time, and it'll feel like a good fit, and I'll sell it to them. Don was 54 when he sold it to me, so I'm getting to that age where I find somebody.
I think it's important to realize that all small businesses are organized differently. My partner has a job, and I get insurance. It would be hard for me to afford insurance. And I take care of my mom, so because I live in Philomath in her house and take care of her and her property, I don't have those expenses. It's deceptive to think that it's a business that would support a lot of people, because it wouldn't.
Patrick Magee.
The Burst’s Chocolates storefront, looking west on Madison Avenue.
Jars of candy behind the counter in Burst’s.
At a glance:
Patrick Magee
Occupation: Owner of Burst’s Chocolates
Age: 51
Education: Horticulture degree from OSU
Other interests: Volunteering / Community Service
Lives in: Philomath
Burst’s Address: 353 SW Madison Ave, Corvallis, OR 97333
Website: https://burstschocolates.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
Phone: (541) 753-2864
