Be serious. You’re on a boardwalk and there is candy within reach.
Of course you are stopping.
This family has been making sweets since 1910, so the sugar rush comes with a little Maryland history attached. Taffy is the beach classic. Fudge can derail the original plan fast.
And caramel popcorn rarely stays in the bag as long as intended.
That is the kind of stop this is. You walk in thinking about one treat and immediately start negotiating with yourself.
I would absolutely claim I was buying a box for later. And technically, the box can be for later.
The first piece, though? Not a chance.
The Shop Has Been An Ocean City Tradition Since 1910
The story starts with a carousel rather than a candy recipe. In 1906, Rudolph Dolle and his father visited Ocean City while looking for a site for their hand-carved carousel. They purchased property at Wicomico Street and the Boardwalk, close to the pier.
Four years later, Rudolph Dolle Sr. purchased a small saltwater taffy stand on that property. The candy business dates its beginning to 1910.
You can still visit that same corner today. The surroundings have changed across more than a century, but the address remains closely tied to candy-making.
The stand grew into a shop with a much broader selection of treats, and the family continued operating it through successive generations.
If you enjoy finding the older corners of a beach town, start your walk near the pier and look for Wicomico Street. It puts the store within reach of the southern Boardwalk without requiring a separate excursion from the waterfront.
There is a pleasing simplicity to the original idea: a carousel, a nearby taffy stand, and a stretch of Boardwalk where people could pause for something sweet.
Today’s shelves have more options than that early stand, but a piece of taffy still makes a sensible introduction to the place.
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Became A Boardwalk Favorite
Fudge joined the offerings by the 1920s, when the business was already making several types of candy.
That puts it alongside caramel corn, caramels, and the original saltwater taffy as an established part of the shop’s history. Fudge remains among the candies produced at the Boardwalk location today.
Chocolate fudge is a straightforward place to begin if you want a familiar flavor. Other fudge varieties appear in the shop’s selection, so you can look at the available assortment before deciding whether to choose a single piece or a larger package.
Think about when you intend to eat it. Fudge is best kept away from prolonged direct sun and excessive heat, two things that can be hard to avoid during an Ocean City summer.
If you plan to carry it around the beach or Boardwalk for several hours, consider saving the purchase until later in your outing.
A boxed selection can also travel home with you, provided you store it appropriately. That makes fudge an option for anyone who wants to bring back something more edible than a souvenir magnet.
Check the packaging for storage guidance, and keep it protected during the trip.
If you’re deciding between fudge and several smaller candies, consider how many people will share them.
Four Generations Of The Dolle Family Have Kept The Candy Business Alive
Dolle’s is a fourth-generation family business. The earliest chapter belongs to Rudolph Dolle Sr., who bought the taffy stand in 1910.
In 2000, brother and sister Andrew Dolle and Anna Dolle Bushnell, children of third-generation operator Rudolph “Bunky” Dolle, began running the company.
Alongside the original Boardwalk shop, the Ocean City business has operated stores in West Ocean City, on 120th Street, and in Berlin.
The Berlin shop opened in 2020, giving people another place to find the same company’s sweets away from the busiest part of the beachfront.
For a first visit, the original Wicomico Street location is a natural choice because it combines the earliest business address with the manufacturing site.
If you are staying farther north or traveling by car outside the central beach area, another shop may fit more easily into your plans.
The similarly named candy shop in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, operates independently from the Ocean City family business. The Ocean City shops have their own recipes, products, and ordering arrangements.
Choose the location that suits your route, then leave enough room in your bag for a purchase or two.
Creamy Fudge And Handcrafted Chocolates Fill The Candy Counters
The chocolate selection offers another path through the shop beyond traditional fudge.
Dolle’s makes a range of chocolates at its original Boardwalk manufacturing location.
Products include peanut butter cups, truffles, and other filled or coated confections.
Exact varieties and seasonal assortments can change.
A small assortment is useful when you’re undecided. Choose a few different pieces rather than a large quantity of one type, especially if you’re shopping for a group with different preferences.
Peanut butter cups make sense for someone who enjoys that pairing, while truffles offer a different sort of chocolate treat.
Some candies contain common allergens such as milk, peanuts, or soy. If an ingredient matters to you or someone in your group, check the current product labeling and ask before selecting.
If you’re taking chocolates out onto the Boardwalk, remember that a sunny day can quickly warm a bag. Buy them toward the end of your walk when possible, particularly if you intend to preserve their shape for a trip home. A shaded bag is a better resting place than a hot car.
Don’t feel obliged to decide on every treat immediately. A short look around the display gives you time to compare chocolate with fudge, taffy, or caramel.
Saltwater Taffy And Caramel Popcorn Add To The Sweet Selection
Saltwater taffy is where Dolle’s story began, and it is still made in Ocean City. At the original shop, you can select varieties in traditional kiss shapes or longer stick shapes.
Sugar-free choices have also been part of the selection, although availability should be checked when you visit.
If you’re buying for several people, start with a mix of taffy flavors. That gives everyone a choice without settling on just one. If you already know your favorites, look at the pick-your-own options and fill a box with those instead.
The company also makes caramel popcorn, another sweet that was available by the 1920s. It offers a very different texture from taffy, making it a natural companion if you want two contrasting snacks.
Caramels and brittle complete the group of longstanding confections connected to the original shop.
For a walking snack, consider the packaging as much as the candy. Wrapped taffy travels easily in a small bag, while popcorn needs a container that can be closed between handfuls. Choose something you can carry comfortably alongside beach gear or other purchases.
You might decide to take home both a taffy assortment and a tub of caramel popcorn. Or keep it simple and choose just one for the afternoon.
The Original Wicomico Street Shop Still Makes Candy Today
The original storefront is not simply a retail counter. Dolle’s continues to manufacture saltwater taffy, fudge, chocolates, caramels, and brittles at its Boardwalk location by Wicomico Street.
That ongoing work connects the shop’s present selection with its early twentieth-century beginnings.
Candy production follows its own schedule, so don’t assume you’ll see a particular process on any given visit. If watching candy-making is a priority, inquire about opportunities before arranging your day around it.
The West Ocean City shop also makes some caramel popcorn and related caramel treats on its premises. Other confections sold there come from the Boardwalk manufacturing operation.
One easy way to plan is to save your candy shopping until you’re nearly finished at the beach. Fudge and chocolates will spend less time in the heat, and boxed purchases are less likely to be jostled during a long afternoon. If you’re buying for someone at home, look for packages that will travel securely.
For a small bit of candy history, look back toward the pier after leaving the counter. This is the same Boardwalk corner associated with the stand purchased in 1910, although the business and storefront have developed considerably since that first summer.
A Historic Boardwalk Storefront Preserves Ocean City’s Candy-Making Heritage
A walk near the southern end of Ocean City’s Boardwalk offers an easy chance to visit the original candy shop.
Its location at Wicomico Street places it near the pier, so it works well with a stroll along the waterfront or an afternoon spent exploring the older Boardwalk blocks.
Taffy is an easy pick for an assortment of wrapped pieces; fudge or chocolate works for a boxed gift; and caramel popcorn makes a handy snack to share.
You can also order candy from the Ocean City business for delivery, which helps when a return visit isn’t possible.
Shipping arrangements and destinations can vary, however, and the separately operated Delaware business has different policies. Double-check your destination and the current ordering terms when placing an order.
Opening hours at the Boardwalk location vary, and closing times may change with the weather. If you’re visiting outside the busiest beach season, confirm the current schedule before heading down. The same advice applies if you’re planning a stop late in the evening.
When you’re ready, head to 500 South Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842, at the corner of Wicomico Street and the Boardwalk.
Pick a sweet for the walk, choose a few for later, and give yourself the simple pleasure of deciding between fudge, taffy, and popcorn beside the shore.