Dolle's Candyland grows along with Ocean City

Anna Dolle Bushnell's childhood must have been like living in a childhood board game, Candyland.

It was no fantasy, though — she grew up surrounded by sweets.

Now a mother of two children, it remains central to her family and life. 

Bushnell and her brother, Andrew, are the third generation of Dolle's to own and operate the family business — Dolle's Candyland. It's among a number of traditional "must-do" experiences for visitors to the iconic Ocean City Boardwalk. 

Well-established at its original Boardwalk and Wicomico Street location, Dolle's has expanded in recent years to include stores at 67th and 120th streets in the resort. 

A fourth store opened April 4 at Park Place Plaza on Route 50 in West Ocean City. 

"This is our largest retail store," said Bushnell. "One thing that makes this new location stand out is the opportunity for customers to watch some of our candy products being made. There's a chocolate enrober set up in the window, for example." 

An enrober is a machine, Bushnell explained, that coats candies with chocolate. Customers can also watch popcorn being made. 

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The store will be attractive to tourists, but also provides benefits to locals.

"In the off-season, we plan to hold events like wine and chocolate pairings, chocolate  tastings and children's activities like making their own chocolate pops," Bushness said. 

Although some products will be made at the new location so customers can see how it's done, Bushnell said the original Boardwalk location is really where all the manufacturing is done. 

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"We've owned and operated that location since 1910," Bushnell said, "but unfortunately, it's all hidden from view, and there's no storage space. What gets made goes straight onto the store shelves. We make taffy and popcorn at our 67th Street location, but our 120th Street shop sells express, pre-packaged, ready-to-go products."

Each store has its own unique footprint, she said, "but the Boardwalk is always a draw."

The new location, outside the resort proper, presents a more relaxed experience, and in addition to abundant displays of candy and other sweets, Dolle's has added gift items, greeting cards targeting different holidays, mugs, plush toys and other items for children, beach towels, hats and event decor.

"At our Boardwalk store, it's hard to do this, because people are in and out so quickly," Bushnell said. "It's a high-volume environment. We created this new space to allow people to take their time browsing and shopping. 

Store hours vary with the season.

Bushnell said all the Dolle's locations are doing well, including the Boardwalk location.

"Weekends have been good," she said. "We've been making candy like crazy. We only make it on demand — that's everything, including chocolates." 

Trimper's is the oldest family-owned business still operating in the resort, Bushnell said, adding Dumsers opened in 1939 and the Alaska Stand in the 1940s.

"So we are among the oldest," she said.  

Bushnell's grandfather, Rudolph Dolle Sr., purchased the Boardwalk location in 1906 and Dolle's opened in 1910.

"My brother and I started taking over in 2000 — 18 years ago — but before that it was our summertime job," Bushnell said. "Every five years or so, we get another opportunity to grow, to open a new store."

Candy has dominated most of Bushnell's life. 

"I went to school not to study business, but for anthropology," she said, "and did an internship at the Smithsonian. But then I came home, and I've been with family business ever since. I needed my flip-flops and the beach." 

Her brother, Andrew, attended Salisbury University.

Each of the Dolle siblings has two children. Bushnell's daughter and son are 10 and 13 years old, respectively. 

"It's a different beast for them," said Bushnell. "When I was growing up we stayed in the apartment above store and I would play nearby sometimes while they were making candy."

That's not her children's experience, though. 

"My daughter today helps me in the office, she's a great intern," Bushnell said. "My son actually started working in the chocolate section of the business last summer. At age 13, he's not tall enough to reach over the counter, and he enjoys making things, so he's happy to work with his grandfather making chocolate."

Rudolph Dolle Jr., Bushnell's father, is still involved sometimes.

"He comes in and helps out in a pinch," she said. "It's really fun to see him and my dad work together." 

Today, Dolle's employs about 50 people.

"We also do a lot of wholesale," Bushnell said. "We make taffy for about 200 businesses located across the country. We don't have a patent, but our candy recipes are under lock and key.

"It's almost like another family member," Bushnell said of Dolle's Candyland. "We're always talking about it, looking out for it, searching for ways to improve. We've been very lucky with our expansions. One thing I have to mention is we have an amazing staff, a core group of people who have dedicated their lives to the business as well."