Fudge Du Locke Spotlight: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

In 1964, Gary “Mac” McClellan started making fudge in Sault Ste. Marie with a simple recipe: rich pure cocoa blended with pure Michigan sugar, mixed until it reached a creamy smoothness that became the standard everything else got measured against. More than 60 years later, Fudge Du Locke is still at it.

Over Six Decades of the Same Standard

Located in downtown Sault Ste. Marie at 307 W Portage Avenue, Fudge Du Locke is one of the UP’s most recognized confectionery destinations. The shop produces handcrafted fudge in a rotating selection of flavors, alongside caramel corn, peanut and cashew brittle, German roasted almonds, and hand-dipped chocolates. Everything is made fresh, in small batches, the way Mac started doing it six decades ago. The recipe has not changed because it does not need to.

Still a Family Business

Today Fudge Du Locke is run by Mac’s wife Carol McClellan and their son Zak, keeping it in the family and keeping the quality exactly where it has always been. The family has expanded over the years with additional locations, including a presence in Frankenmuth — but the original Sault Ste. Marie shop remains the heart of the operation. It is the kind of generational business that reminds you what small business ownership looks like when it is built to last.

Sault Ste. Marie’s Sweet Destination

Sault Ste. Marie sits at the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula where the St. Marys River connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron. It is a city with serious history and a tourism draw in the Soo Locks that brings visitors from across the country every summer. Fudge Du Locke has been there for all of it — a constant in a place that has seen a lot of change. Whether you are passing through on a UP road trip or planning a visit specifically for the Locks, stop in and bring home something made the old way.

Address: 307 W Portage Ave, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783