Kent Mathewson
Like most small towns, Mayville has its share of families who have become closely woven into the town’s fabric, often spanning multiple generations. The Webb’s are one such family, who over the years, have opened and operated a variety of businesses devoted to food, confections, and lodging. They have also served the local community, in holding a number of elective offices. One might say that few if any families have been more visible in the Mayville landscape than the Webb’s, with their business complex fronting Lake Chautauqua, comprising of Webb’s Year- Round Resort Hotel, Webb’s Captain’s Table Restaurant, Webb’s Candies, and Webb’s Miniature Golf Course. Until earlier this year, this complex represented the culmination the efforts of four generations of Webbs, spanning some 80 years. In April, Webb’s Year-Round Resort was sold to two young enterprising entrepreneurs, Jay Patel of Fredonia, and Vishal Patel of Getzville, NY. Darrel and Janel Paul Webb will continue to own and operate Webb’s Candy and Gifts. The Captain’s Table is currently up for sale.
The Webb family’s local business story starts in 1942, when the recently married teenagers Paul Webb and Nadine Henderson purchased their first business, the Fountainette in Mayville for $400. Shortly after, Paul was drafted into the military. New wife Nadine, and Paul’s mother Blanche ran the restaurant & ice cream parlor until Paul returned from the service in 1945. The next year they bought an old barn behind the Fountainette on Erie Street, and set up a small candy factory. They quickly got the hang of it, and soon became a major producer and supplier of candies in the county. Two of their signature items were large lollipops, or “all-day suckers,” and goat’s milk fudge. The lollipops became so popular that at one point they were producing up to 5,000 per day. Today they carry on the tradition producing and selling fine confections at Webb’s Candies and Gifts. During the 1950s the Webbs branched out, opening a series of small restaurants in Hartfield, Westfield, and Dunkirk. In 1959 they purchased the Mooring Bit Restaurant across from the Chautauqua Marina on West Lake Road (Rt. 394). By the mid-60s the Mooring Bit morphed into the larger Captain’s Table, and a bowling alley was added. They also opened companion candy and restaurant businesses in Florida, where members of the Webb clan often wintered. In 1968 the family entered the hotel business with Webb’s Year-Round Resort, adjacent to the restaurant and candy store. The 1970s and 80s enjoyed steady business, but in 1992 a fire started in the bowling alley along with a separate electrical fire destroyed most of the restaurant. It was rebuilt and the area of the former bowling alley became The Cottage Collection, a store selling gifts and bed and bath items. In 1994 twenty-six rooms and a new swimming pool were added to the hotel. The last addition to the complex was a miniature golf course in 2003.
Two other major Webb projects were advanced, but never completed. In the mid-90s Paul Webb’s son Jim, proposed a new hotel-condo complex with shops on Rt 394 facing the Lakeside Park. Various obstacles, including zoning issues and rail removal and road work on 394 stalled it, which ultimately resulted in its abandonment. Twenty-some years later, Jim Webb’s son Ben, launched a similar condo project on the same site. But history repeated itself, various obstacles emerged, and The Lodge at Chautauqua did not go beyond the groundbreaking ceremony. So, at present, the Webb business story has come around full circle. Begun eighty years with a soda fountain, soon expanded to include a candy factory, and later a complex of hotel-restaurants-gift shops-miniature golf and candy store, it has settled back to its original focus – on sweets.
Today, Darel and Janel Webb carry forth the family tradition of serving Mayville with a full line of confections together with a wide selection of Chautauqua souvenirs and gift items. Producing the candies on site, their signature confection is goat milk fudge, backed up by chocolates of all sorts: almond butter crunch, bark, cordial cherries, peanut butter squares, brittle, and butter cups, pecan frogs, peppermint patties, pretzels, salt water taffy, sponge candy, vanilla sea salt caramel. They even have sugar-free chocolate pecan patties. All of Webb’s Candies are made using copper kettles, wooden paddles and marble slabs. As in the past, all the chocolates are hand-dipped and hand-packed. They have recently expanded their counter offerings to include cakes and ice cream cones and cups. Their summer hours are every day, 10 am to 8 pm. The Webbs are happy to give factory tours for groups of ten or more with advance booking. Given the quality and reputation of the Webb family’s remaining business, we might look forward to a centennial celebration down the road.