Chocolate peanut butter, mint chocolate, chocolate walnut, rocky road, and penuche … strawberry, peanut butter, watermelon, banana, blueberry, molasses, root beer, licorice, cinnamon ...

Over the past 50 years, Downeast Candies of Boothbay Harbor has grown its business to the tune, and flavors, of 20,000 pounds of taffy and fudge. This summer, the Carmolli family is celebrating the shop’s five decades of handmade fudge, the same seven flavors; and mixing, twisting and wrapping 20 saltwater taffy flavors to the delight of candy lovers in the Boothbay region, and across Maine and Massachusetts.

Inside 7 The By Way, the same fudge and saltwater taffy David and Pat Carmolli were making way back when is now made March-December. David died years ago, but family being what Downeast Candies is all about, their son Rick stepped up to keep the taffy puller going. Rick and wife Marissa’s kids Ethan, 22, and Ava, 21, started around the same age as their dad – 10 or 11. And Pat does everything not related to candy production or counter work.

Ethan and Ava, both new college graduates, are as dedicated to the business as their dad and grandmother were. Both Ethan and Ava intend on keeping Downeast Candies going.

“It’s been part of my life since childhood,” Ava said. “It’s really cool that this is our family business. It helps that I love my family so much. We’re lucky to be able to be here for each other. It would be so sad to see it go, it’s such a big part of our family’s lives.”

Since the 40th anniversary, there have been some changes. The wholesale business, which Rick called “a real game changer,” includes about a dozen saltwater taffy flavors, including the most popular – peanut butter –  to a dozen new customers in Maine and Massachusetts. The Box of Maine company also includes taffy in its boxes of Vacationland items that can be ordered for kids in college, and family and friends. This facet of the business is why candy is now made through the end of each year. On the local front, Gimbel’s of Maine has long carried both the taffy and fudge, and Sherman’s offers the taffy in all store locations.

Downeast Candies has had a social media person, Isabel Blake, over the last year who’s increased the shop’s presence on Facebook and Instagram. Right now the family is looking into making the candy available for purchase on the website, www.downeastcandies.com, revamped in 2020. Mail order is still an option, too, just give them a shout at 207-633-5178.

The celebration of the big 5-0 all begins in mid-July. First off, the family will be bringing back some previously requested taffy flavors, to be determined. Some requests have been on the unusual side.

Shared Pat, “We’ve had people come by asking if we would make a specific taffy flavor. A guy who owned a garlic farm asked if we’d make garlic taffy. Another person asked for Moxie taffy. They gave us some of the syrup so we did.”

“The garlic taffy was delicious! The whole shop smelled of garlic,” recalled Rick. In fact, all of the family members dug the garlic – much to their surprise.

There are plans to bring back the peanut brittle once offered, as well as the chocolate and chocolate nut chews. Will there be more? Maybe. Display space is the issue as opposed to making the confections. Commemorative T-shirts will be available for a mere $20 (the cost of a box of taffy) and will be similar to the 40th.

“We’ve worked hard over the years to keep it going,” Pat said. “If it wasn’t for Rick stepping in and taking over production …”

“We’ve just been chuggin’ along,” Rick said. “Help has been a constant battle for the past 10 years and getting J1’s (exchange visitor visas) who can stay through the fall. We just try to maintain our quality. Quality is what people come to Maine for.”

“We’ve had kids from Romania, Jamaica, Bulgaria,” said Pat. “They’ve served candy from the window. Many didn’t know how to speak English, They come here and don’t know anyone and have never been to the US before, but but they became part of our family and fit in so well. Very often we have them over for dinner. Often it’s hard for them to get a visa two consecutive years.”

The training is the same as it was for Rick, Ethan and Ava. Everyone starts by moving the buckets of stretched taffy to the kitchen, working the cash register and interacting with customers, and then the window. This way trainees gain understanding about how it all works.

Over the decades many local kids have worked for the Carmolli family including Jake Krouse (10 years), Eric Jorgenson, Eben Goodwin, and Brooks Thompson, who started in high school and continued working there right through law school. Former employees are always stopping by when they’re in town because, as Pat says, “once family, always family.”

Pat noted that over the past five years there have been fewer locals applying for work. In addition to Rick, Ethan and Ava, usually 5-6 others are needed each summer. “I almost never get an application from a teenager,” noted Pat.

“A lot of years, when didn’t have all the workers we needed, it was just really us,” said Ethan, “I think we’re really lucky we can work with each other.  This (Downeast Candies) is our legacy – and that feels good.”

From the fudge window and register inside the family always gets great feedback from their customers, including “We’ve been coming here for 45 years,” “I came when I was just yea high (insert hand gesture illustrating height) and now I’m bringing my kids,” “Friendly crew,” “We really like the candy,” and “Best taffy EVER!”

Fudge favorites are chocolate peanut butter and chocolate. Although, rocky road is right up there with its large pieces of marshmallow that are a real temptation – and Ava can vouch for that! Peanut butter still reigns as the number one saltwater taffy flavor.

Could it be the peanut butter brand? Says Rick, “Choosy candy makers choose Jif.”

And saltwater taffy and fudge fans choose Downeast Candies - they have for 50 years - and counting!