Steve Jahn: A Bit of a Nut

You could argue that two things keep Steve Jahn young at heart. Though 51, he’s the father of an 8-year-old son and two 6-year-old twin boys. He has no choice but to stay young. And he just happens to own one of Wichita’s biggest and most popular candy stores, the Nifty Nut House.

“It’s a pretty sweet deal,” he says, pun intended. “I can honestly say that I am often remembered for my nuts.”

Yes, there’s a bit of the class clown in Jahn, and he admits he’s always been something of a free spirit. He stayed true to the bachelor life until he was about 40. Then a woman named Michelle walked into the Nifty Nut House one day when he was working behind the counter, and it was love at first sight.

“She just knocked me down,” he says of his future wife. “I threw everything I had at her.”

About six years before he met Michelle, Jahn had purchased the Nifty Nut House, 537 N. St. Francis, from his father, Ron, who had bought it from his uncle, Ed Muckenthaler, in 1973. Muckenthaler was the original owner, having opened the store in 1937.

The legacy of quality, freshness and service is one that Steve Jahn upholds today. “The customer demands it,” he says, and the Nifty Nut House has thrived by giving customers what they want. That means nuts roasted fresh on site; a product line that includes more than 2,000 nuts, candies and confections; and counter service from workers who scoop orders from bulk bins into those familiar brown bags.

If that tempts your taste buds, by all means, pay the store a visit. But be prepared for crowds. December is the busiest time of year at the Nifty Nut House. “There will be people three deep around the counter,” Jahn says. “It’s something to see.”