As summer brings warm weather and flocks of tourists to Ocean City, Dolle’s Candyland  enters its peak season.

As OC’s original candy maker, Dolle’s is known for its world famous salt water taffy, buttery caramel popcorn, fudge, caramels, and large selection of chocolates. This fourth-generation family-owned business credits the local community for its success, saying the beach town is an amazing location for the business community.

“We truly depend on our neighbors to make this unique business go and grow,” said Anna Dolle Bushnell, president of Dolle’s Candyland.

With four locations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – three stores in Ocean City and one in Berlin – Dolle’s has ramped up its seasonal help with nearly 60 workers across its locations. And while there aren’t plans for new retail shops on the horizon, the business may soon need additional space to keep up with its orders.

“We are seriously looking into expanding our manufacturing facility as our demand has grown,” Anna said of its original location at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Wicomico Street, where it has produced candies since 1910.

Anna’s great grandfather purchased the piece of land near the boardwalk in 1906 for his hand-carved carousel, and four years later added a saltwater taffy stand to the property. Now nearly 115 years later, that candy stand has grown into a blossoming business known not only within Worcester County, but throughout the East Coast.

“This 115th milestone is huge in our eyes,” said Anna. “First and foremost, the business is our family tradition, something that my grandfather and my parents dedicated their lives to. Their foresight and knowledge is why we are still here today—we serve the same candy, in the same spot, all made on some of the same machines that our ancestors used.”

Nearly a century after forming Candyland, the Dolle family expanded its business model and opened A&A Candy Company, a private label/wholesale company that churns out approximately 200,000 pounds of salt water taffy each year at the original Dolle’s facility.

“My brother and I started A&A in 2000,” said Anna, “and it has been the perfect outlet for growth. We’ve provided taffy for more than 150 companies along the Eastern Seaboard and beyond.”

The manufacturing process has worked out well for the Dolle family—making them a bit of an anomaly in the industry. “Most candy businesses these days are solely retailers and purchase their candy elsewhere,” said Anna, who explained Dolle’s still makes all of its products in-house as-needed. “We are true candy makers—and we simply don’t have the space to store excess.”

So the next time you’re visiting Maryland’s famous beach town, stop by one of the state’s oldest candy companies. While salt water taffy is the top seller, caramel popcorn is a close second… and Anna says the peanut brittle and dark chocolate thin mints aren’t to be missed.

“We strive for excellence in all areas of our business, from making the best ‘beach candies’ to having the friendliest staff. We truly want to make great memories for our local customers as well as all of our wonderful visitors.”

Header image courtesy of Chris Parypa Photography