WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Each year, as summer comes to a close, an iconic Western New York business opens.
Mayer Brothers continues to be one of the stops on everyone’s fall favorite destinations, and this year they’re celebrating a major milestone. Located in West Seneca, the cider mill is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in New York State. This year marks their 170 season.
“Every year is special for us. This is a seasonal business, so it’s a time of year where we all get excited to start the main part of our job, which is making apple cider and donuts,” said Mayer Brothers President Garrett Mayer.
Back in 1852, Jacob Mayer purchased a local apple pressing mill. People would bring their own barrels to fill with juice to drink before fermenting it into hard cider. And for the first 100 years, that’s the way it was, Mayer told News 4.
Mayer Brothers is now in it’s fifth generation – with the sixth already in the shop.
“My kids are here – they’re 10 and 11. They’re making caramel corn and kettle corn this week. That’s how I was brought up,” Mayer said. “It really becomes a part of you. I don’t know how to describe who I am without saying something about Mayer Brothers.”
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Each year, the business brings in their apples, everywhere from right here in Western New York all the way to Washington state. But Mayer Brothers has expanded beyond cider; their store is filled with rows of other locally-made goodies, and when you walk in it’s hard to resist the bakery greeting you at the front door.
“We make a cake donut here. It’s not a yeast-raised donut,” Mayer said. “They’re really fresh. It’s basically like you fried a birthday cake.”
The business typically sees more than 10,000 visitors per week, starting from the time they open their doors for the season each August.
“We strive hard everyday to do the best we can – make great products, make fresh products and come up with new ways to do different things,” Mayer said. “We hope we’re just part of everyone’s routine. And when you think of fall, you think of apple cider; and when you think of apple cider, hopefully you’re thinking of Mayer Brothers.”
Marlee Tuskes is a reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.