Homemade: Marini’s at the Beach celebrates 100 years at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Marini’s at the Beach has been providing kids and adults with sweet treats at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for 100 years and all of the candy is still made on the Central Coast.

Marini’s at the Beach is the latest business to be featured on Homemade.

Joe Marini III, owner of Marini’s at the Beach, started making candy when he was about ten years old helping his grandfather in the same store on the boardwalk.

“Growing up in the candy business it has always been a part of my life,” said Joe Marini.

Marini told News Channel Five he remembers his grandfather had a stoolthat he used to put up on the taffy wrapper so Joe could stand in between him and help him pull taffy.

Marini’s at the Beach has been in the Marini family for four generations.

“It started in 1915 by my great grandfather and he started with a popcorn and peanut cart pretty much in this location on the boardwalk,” explained Joe Marini.

The shop has come a long way from the days of popcorn and peanuts.

“We have English toffee, we make homemade turtles, we make our fudges right here and we hand dip chocolates.”

Customers can also watch their candy being made right in front of them at Marini’s at the Beach.

Joe Marini III believes that is part of what makes the store so unique.

Joe makes the same candy his grandfather and great grandfather made and he even uses a 1932 taffy wrapper.

“It can be made faster. It can be made quicker and it can be made probably less expensive, but for us it’s about being here and making it front of our customers with traditions handed down from great grandfather to my grandfather to my father and uncle to me.”

Marini is also still finding ways to stay relevant now by creating chocolate covered jalapenos and chocolate covered bacon.

“It has been a phenomenon. Who would have known putting chocolate and bacon together and it has just taken off,” said Marini.

Marini’s at the Beach will be celebrating their 100 year anniversary by giving away special prizes.

Customers will find scratcher tickets inside a one pound box of salt water taffy sold at Marini’s and the grand prize winner will be able to design and name their own taffy flavor. The winner will also receive the flavor free for an entire year.