Cabot’s Candy: A Sweet Slice of Provincetown History

Cabot’s Candy traces its roots back to 1927, when its founder—recorded in historical accounts as George Schwarz (or Shwarz)—began hand‑pulling saltwater taffy at local Cape Cod fairs. Unsurprisingly, Schwarz decided against naming the business after his own German-sounding surname, instead adopting the more New England–resonant “Cabot” .

As word of the sweet delights spread among summer visitors, demand grew. By 1955, Cabot’s shifted from fairs to a permanent presence, opening a combined store and factory at 276 Commercial Street in Provincetown. This iconic corner location—at Commercial and Ryder Streets, overlooking MacMillan Pier and Cape Cod Bay—became the heart of operations and remains so today.

The building itself has a story: originally constructed in 1892 as the Seamen’s Savings Bank, it was later repurposed for retail after the bank relocated in 1964. Cabot’s has occupied the space since 1969 under the ownership of Giovanni “John” Cicero, who—along with his ex‑wife Judith—purchased the building in 1983.

Over the decades, Cabot’s expanded its offerings beyond taffy. Today, visitors can enjoy handmade fudge, peanut brittle, honey-crunch popcorn, nostalgic penny candies, gummies, chocolate-covered treats, caramels, and more—all meticulously produced in small batches in the factory beneath the store. The saltwater taffy—its signature product—is made using Cape Cod sea salt and is aerated via hand- or machine-pulling to capture tiny air bubbles that give it its light, chewy texture.

A key figure in recent history is Scott, the long-serving head of production who began in administrative and tech support roles, eventually mastering the art of candy‑making and mechanical maintenance. He now oversees the day-to-day craft of making taffy, fudge, and brittle batches for the shop—even helping on the sales floor wrapping taffy during peak season.

Located at 276 Commercial Street—across from town hall and near the Pilgrim Monument—Cabot’s still upholds the feel of a vintage penny-candy parlor. Visitors can watch taffy being pulled and wrapped, sample flavors on display, or choose from bins of retro sweets—some of which evoke memories of childhood.

In 2015, the brand expanded beyond Provincetown, opening a second storefront in Cambridge’s Harvard Square at 1300 Massachusetts Avenue. Although modest in scale, the Harvard Square location brought Cabot’s beloved taffy, fudge, brittle, and popcorn to a broader audience.

Despite its expansion, Cabot’s Candy remains family-owned and deeply rooted in local tradition. After nearly a century in operation, it is celebrated as arguably the last Cape confectioner to cook its own saltwater taffy—a claim based on its continued in-house production through all seasonal cycles. Tourists and generations of families return year after year, many coming with children or grandchildren to share the experience.

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