Oliver's Candies

Chandler was excited to meet the Easter Bunny at Oliver's Candies this morning and eagerly gave the bunny a hug.

Jeremy Liles said he will continue to push for a rules change in the City of Batavia on commercial signs that prohibit electronic signs from regularly changing their messages.

Earlier this year, Liles installed a new sign on his business, Oliver's Candies, at Main and Oak with an electronic message board.

Under the current city ordinance, he can only change the message on the board once every 24 hours. He would like to change it hourly, especially this time of year when he might have four or five different promotions going to attract holiday business.

Tuesday night the city's planning board unanimously rejected his request for a variance to allow the message to change at least hourly.

Duane Preston, chairman of the board, said his vote was based on the fact there is no precedent in the city for allowing an exemption.

Liles argued that signs at Salvation Army and Batavia High School change more often than every 24 hours, but Preston said the city's code enforcement officers report that no permission has been granted for such changes where the city has jurisdiction. He doesn't have jurisdiction over the school property, he said.

Liles said the inconsistency bothers him.

He vowed to continue the fight after the vote, including bringing it up during the city's comprehensive plan update.

One apparent argument against frequently changing signs is that it creates a traffic hazard. Liles said he doesn't buy that argument. Distracted driving from mobile phones is a bigger problem than business signs, he said.

"There were two accidents in front of Oliver's this morning and that had nothing to do with my sign," he said.

Changing times demand changing signs, says Jeremy Liles, owner of Oliver’s Candies.

City code doesn’t agree — at least not for now.

And so the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday recommended disapproval of a permit that would allow “periodical change” of the digital reader board on Oliver’s Candies’ new electronic sign.

The city Planning and Development Committee is scheduled to review the permit request on Tuesday.

Oliver’s Candies replaced its longtime free-standing sign, at 211 W. Main St., with the digital version earlier this year.

City planners approved a permit for the new sign in December 2014. The permit was granted with the condition that the sign not contain “flashing, intermittent, rotating or moving lights.”

On Thursday, Liles said it makes good business sense to lift those conditions, at least a little bit.

“I could play full video on (my sign), but I’m not looking to do that — I don’t even want to change it every four seconds,” he told the Planning Board. “I was actually hoping for once an hour; that would be my ultimate goal.”

The lettering on a non-digital sign could be manually changed once an hour, with no legal ramifications, he said. “The only difference is this one is lit.”

In recommending disapproval, county Planning Department staff noted that the city and most municipalities prohibit periodically changing LED displays because they can distract drivers. Staff conceded electronic signs are becoming more popular, but the city has been consistent in not allowing signs that change more than once every 24 hours.

The county vote to disapprove means a majority-plus-one vote would be required for the city committee to approve the sign variance.

County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari told Liles his best course of action would be to persuade City Council to change city law.

“I guess what I’m looking to do is update the world a little bit,” Liles said. “If not the world, then the city of Batavia.”

In other business, the county Planning Board recommended:

— disapproval of a site plan and area variance for construction of a Dollar General store on the east side of Allegheny Road (Route 77), Pembroke.

Planning staff said the variances — including a 9,100-square-foot building, nearly twice the minimum allowed — “grossly exceed” the requirements of town zoning law.

The store would also be built on a half-acre parcel subdivided from farmland. That land is in active agriculture and enrolled in county Agriculture District No. 1. That would prohibit connections to existing water and sewer service.

The property was reenrolled in the Ag District this past January. A portion of the land cannot be removed by subdivision, according to Oltramari, who administers the Ag District program.

“Once you sign up for an Ag District, you’re in it for eight years,” Oltramari said. “And all the land that gets subdivided out of it, stays in for eight years.

“It doesn’t prevent them from building the building,” he added. “It just prevents them from hooking up sewer in water.”

Lowell Dewey, project engineer for C&S Co., of Buffalo, said Dollar General has enough space to accommodate a well and septic system. Adding those would require a site plan change.

— disapproval of an area variance allowing a sign for an insurance office at 10724 Alexander Road, Alexander. James Wright hopes to install a 33-square-foot sign; the maximum allowed is 6 square feet.

— approval of the subdivision of a multi-family residential parcel at 180 Pearl St., Batavia, into two parcels each with a two-family residence.

— approval, with modifications, of zoning text amendments to add review criteria for solar energy systems in the Town of Batavia. The required modification is that the town add mitigation provisions for solar-energy systems built on agricultural land. “Of particular concern are construction and restoration techniques, including maintenance and restoration of drainage patterns and improvements, stockpiling of topsoil, and soil decompaction after decommissioning of the project,” planning staff said.

— approval of a site plan allowing T-Mobile to exchange six panel antennas and add a new battery cabinet to a telecommunications tower at 5101 Broadway Road (Route 20), Bethany.

— approval of an area variance to subdivide a single-family home at 1711 Genesee St. (Route 33), Pembroke, from its rear acreage and accessory buildings.

— approval, with modifications, of a site plan to operate an electrician’s office and warehouse at 614 Main Road (Route 5), Stafford. The required modification is that landscaping buffers and fencing property be maintained or improved.

The property is being purchased by Art Nicometo, who plans to use it for storage and as an administrative office. No retail will be conducted.

Oliver's Candies is more than a Batavia landmark, it is a destination for many on the holidays. It is a cherished tradition. The business has grown quite a bit since 1932 and the sign that had served the store for about 65 years was retired today. Don’t panic! The old sign will be placed into storage and preserved.

The new sign is chocolate brown and matches the motif of the Swiss chalet that was formed around the wood-framed house that was the original store. The sign will be wired and turned on Wednesday. 

Jeremy Liles, VP of Oliver’s, stands next to the new sign.

It’s an annual tradition that has some patrons make an hour-long trek to continue. Oliver’s Candy Store on Main Street in Batavia welcomed Spring with the arrival of the Easter Bunny earlier today. 

Genesee County’s “sweet spot” has extended business hours – from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, April 4. Oilver’s is closed only two days a year – Christmas and Easter – regular business hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday.

The steel frame for the new Oliver's sign was anchored in place today.  The concrete foundation needs to set for as much as four weeks before the new sign is put on the frame. The same day the new sign is installed, the old Oliver's sign will be removed and taken to storage.

Previously: Oliver's Candies planning new neon sign with message board

Some might call the Oliver's Candies sign iconic, but objects only become iconic with age, and age means expensive to maintain and problem-plagued.

That's the case with this sign, according to Jeremy Liles, general manager of the family business.

The sign really needs to be replaced, Liles told members of the Genesee County Planning Board Thursday night, which reacted initially with kind of a collective gasp.

The planning board was asked to review the proposal because Oliver's is seeking a special sign permit for the replacement sign. While smaller than the old sign, it will still stand 20 feet tall and be nine feet wide.

If you grew up in this community, you grew up with this sign and all that it represents. The sign has been in place since at least the 1950s. Liles is nervous some might react negatively to replacement of the sign, but he said every effort has been made to ensure it maintains its classic character.

The logo will change, the color scheme will change, but it will still be close to the same size and shape, will still be lit with neon and bordered by white light bulbs.

The new sign will be more energy efficient and will also feature a programmable message board, which, by law, will only post a new message in each 24-hour period. The update will mean no longer assigning an employee the task of changing the message on the board by hand on a less frequent basis.

Such a change of a seemingly iconic sign in Batavia isn't anything new. In 2012, Batavia Downs took down its classic neon sign and replaced it with a sign that uses LED lights, but otherwise looks exactly like the old sign. If you didn't know better, it would be hard to tell the difference.

That's the hope of Liles with this sign change, he said. In fact, Oliver's will hire the same company as Batavia Downs to build and install the new sign.

After cutting the expense of maintenance and electricity, the next important reason for changing the sign is for Oliver's to be consistant in its branding. The current logo is the Oliver's name with a cup pouring chocolate, which is not part of the current Oliver's sign.

"Brand recognition is important," Liles told the board. "You all recognize the Nike swish when you see it and when the world sees that logo I want them to think chocolate."

The new sign will also use the brown chocolate color that is part of Oliver's branding scheme now.

The county planning board recommended approval of the new sign permit. The City's planning board must approve it next before work can begin.

Below is an artist's rendering of the proposed new sign.

If you drove past Oliver's this afternoon, you might have spotted a couple of Umpa Lumpas dancing around out front. By the time I got there, there was only one Umpa Lumpa left on shfit, but several Oliver's employees dressed up for Halloween. Above are Carey Hewitt as a dark angel, Jessica Henry as a bunny, Anna Liles as an Umpa Lumpa and Debbie Palmer as Lucy from her memorable shift in a chocolate factory.

Rep. Chris Collins stopped in Oliver's Candies today, but it wasn't for the famed Molly Pops. He was making one of his regular visits to small local businesses in his district.

Oliver's is also famed for -- among other things -- sponge candy, which Collins discussed at some length with Deborah Palmer, left, and Jeremy Liles. Sponge candy is another of WNY's unique foods that is little known in other parts of the country. Liles said it's probably a candy that was brought to WNY by Polish immigrants.

Anita Strollo submitted this photo of Collins at the lunch at the Senior Center today. Her mother, Serena Strollo, celebrated her 91st birthday today and Collins presented her with a Congressional certificate.

A picture of the marquee under the Oliver's Candies sign has been making the rounds on Facebook. Is "Molly Pops" a mistake, people want to know.

It is not.

A molly pop, according to general manager Jeremy Liles, is a "peppermint molasses sucker covered with chocolate." And he adds, "Very good stuff!"

That's a nominee for understatement of the year.

I stopped by late today to get a picture and as I left, an Oliver's employee offered to let me take a sample sucker.

I took my first bite as I walked through the parking lot toward my truck. I immediately turned on my heel and headed back into the store. I bought a package of eight. Tonight, I shared one with Billie. She insisted that I share the rest.

"It's terribly delicious," she said.

This is one of a series of articles highlighting the winners of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce awards for 2012. The awards gala is Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel.

Whether it's the salty, sweet perfection of Cashew Glaze, colorful Christmas Ribbon Candy or the unique regional favorite Sponge Candy, Oliver's offers treats that are handmade, high quality and tasty.

For 81 years now, the Batavia landmark has built a loyal following that, aided by a robust online presence, today includes customers everywhere from Irondequoit to Korea, France to Corfu. Oliver's Candies, LLC, is the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce 2012 Business of the Year.

Located at 211 W. Main St., the Swiss-chalet-style building is where founder Joe Oliver lived and operated his candy shop. It had add-ons built in the '50s, '70s and major upgrades a couple of years after John and Sheila Quincey bought it in 1998. Sheila's son, Jeremy Liles, came on board in 2001 and is general manager.

"It's exciting being named Business of the Year and we appreciate the recognition of other business people," Liles said.

He credits his parents and staff, past and present, with Oliver's continued success.

"I didn't build this business to where it is today," Liles said. "My parents took a business that was doing OK in the '90s -- it was surviving -- but they just made it boom. They put their own money into it. They said this is something that can really grow and do a lot."

In 2000, the candy-making facility was completely revamped. The size of the retail store was tripled -- now it's about 3,000-square-feet -- and the size of the kitchen was doubled. There are no ovens. All the candy is made using commercial-grade, air-induction stoves and giant copper kettles. In 2002, "a full-blown ice cream parlor" was cranking out cones of ice cream blended especially for Oliver's.

Making candy isn't like running a restaurant. Although goods are being made fresh all the time, the process is more like manufacturing and can be done in shifts. And there's a shelf life, unlike what comes to a cafe table hot on a dinner plate.

But as with restaurants, running a successful candy operation requires "a lot of devotion." And the toil and talent of a capable staff.

"Those guys in the kitchen make it happen," said Liles, who is 38 and the father of three. "They're the backbone of the business."

A number of employees have spent a good chunk of their lives working at Oliver's.

Bob Pacer, with about 34 years of service, and Bonnie Battaglia, with about 33, both retired earlier this year. Their knowledge of candy and customers and their skills are no doubt sorely missed.

Then there's retail manager Diana Cuttita, with 20-plus years, and Beth Diegelman, 33-plus years.

"Beth can hand-temper chocolate," said Liles, with a little awe in his voice. "I can't do that, a machine can. But her hands are just cold enough to be able to get just the right consistency by hand."

It takes years to learn that kind of stuff. In fact, it takes about 10 years to become a master candy maker and it's typically learned through apprenticeship.

Ron Drock, who worked at Oliver's for 51 years, learned from his predesessor and he taught current master candy maker and longtime employee Doug Pastecki. Adam Horton is the assistant candy maker learning all he can from Doug.

There are currently about 15 full-time staff people and 15 part-timers, including seasonal workers, high school and college students, and crews for nights, weekends and summer.

"Thank God for them," Liles says, noting that they get to hone some practical math skills like counting back change, converting ounces to pounds or the fact that there's three teaspoons in one tablespoon.

As for increasing sales, Liles says two factors are key (A) consistent store hours and (B) having a successful online shopping site.

"We're open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, and we're only closed on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. If you're not open, how can you sell?"

Their online sales have soared. Online is a great way to expand sales without going the brick-and-mortar route.

In addition, they are selling favorites like Merry Mints, French Creams, Sponge Candy and Cashew Glaze wholesale to national catalog order companies, something which has "become huge" for them.

In terms of challenges, besides small business depressors like high taxes and  minimum wage increases, commodity fluctuations can have an impact on them. Higher prices for sugar and cocoa, for instance, are somewhat offset by product-line diversity -- no-added sugar products, savory snack mixes, and candies that don't require chocolate.

"If something happens on the Ivory Coast because of politics, it can affect us because that's where our cocoa is coming from. Normally it's not a problem because the United States imports so much of it; we can get our hands on it. But we're not as big as Hershey's. They have their own plantations. We depend on small growers.

"So if our costs shoot up, we're not like the gas station across the street -- we can't raise and lower our prices all the time. We (small business candy makers) have set a standard -- we're the same price as anybody else in Western New York."

"Some people don't understand that and they go in Oliver's and say 'This is expensive. I can get this cheaper at Walmart.' But it's really a different ball game altogether. We're dealing with really high quality products, no preservatives, fresh made. There's a huge difference. I think people realize that and that is why our customer base is what it is and growing.

"I think people are acquiring the taste for finer chocolates, finer wines, whatever, and (the trend of) Shop Local."

And Oliver's does shop local whenever possible, whether it's buying dairy products from Oatka, kitchen wares from Batavia Restaurant Supply, or seasonal produce from Harrington's and farmer's markets.

Liles is encouraged by Batavia's potential and what lies on the horizon and says the future looks sweet. Things already are at Oliver's.