Stever's Candies

Stever's Candies is a handmade confectionery shop at 623 Park Ave in Rochester, NY, producing candy on-site since 1946. Founder Douglas Stever learned the craft near Philadelphia after returning from World War II service, and he and his wife Hilda opened their first small shop on Goodman Street that same year. The business eventually operated three locations around Rochester, but since 1970 only the Park Avenue storefront has remained. In 2022, John and Eric Vangellow purchased the shop — the first owners outside the Stever family — and completed a full remodel of the space while continuing the candy-making traditions.

Stever's produces a wide range of confections in-house, including:

• Molded chocolates, truffles, and assorted chocolate barks
• Sponge candy and Mr. Stever's Famous Peanut Brittle
• Fresh fudge, caramels, and sea salt caramels
• Marzipan and signature Melt-A-Ways
• Chocolate-covered nuts — almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamia, and brazils
• Cordials, clusters, gummies, hard candy, and lollipops
• Seasonal fresh-dipped fruit and holiday-themed selections
• Sugar-free and nut-free options

The shop also offers a Build Your Own Box experience, gift wrapping, gift cards, and online ordering with shipping for customers outside the Rochester area.

Stever's Candies has occupied a place on the Park Avenue commercial strip for more than five decades, making it one of the longest-running candy shops in Rochester. The building itself dates to 1911, when it was constructed as a telephone exchange; it became a candy shop in 1939 under different ownership before the Stever family took over the space in 1960. The shop's sponge candy, peanut brittle, and marzipan are among its most recognized offerings, and its handmade production process — candy is still made on the premises — sets it apart from retailers selling mass-produced sweets.

Stever's sits along the Park Avenue corridor in Rochester's Park Avenue neighborhood, a walkable stretch of independent shops, restaurants, and cafés between Goodman Street and Culver Road. The area hosts the annual Park Avenue Summer Art Festival each August, drawing large crowds past the storefront. Street parking is available along Park Avenue, with additional side-street options on nearby Berkeley and Barrington Streets. The shop is a short walk from the intersection of Park and Oxford, placing it in the heart of one of Rochester's most active neighborhood business districts.