Mayer Bros Cider Mill opens for their 172nd season

BUFFALO, N.Y (WIVB) — Before the sun rose, people were lining up outside the door of Mayer Brothers Cider Mill, eager to get the first taste of the season that’s right around the corner.

“It’s like their tradition, they make us wake up at five to be the first ones,” said Brittany Bauer, who was the first in line with her two sons, Roman and Ryder.

Their door opened at 7am Wednesday, officially starting their 172nd season of serving WNY their favorite fall treats.

“It’s a taste of fall, it’s Americana,” said Garret Mayer, the owner of the cider mill. “People come here, they think of a happy place, they come here and they’re smiling.”

Their workers start making the donuts fresh every day around 3:30am, and continue to fry, frost and decorate them until 4pm. They say on their busy days, like on the weekends, they can end up making thousands of fresh donuts a day.

Along with their pies, pastries, non-perishable food items, and more, this year, they’ve added more decorations, additional shelving and even gluten free options throughout the store. They encourage everyone to stop by and pick up a treat at the mill that has run in the Mayer family for five generations.

“We want you to enjoy it, you know … we want you to come and join our family,” said Samantha McGranor, the mill’s store manager.

They will be open daily 7am until 8pm through Halloween. In November, they will be open daily 7am until 7pm. For more information, you can visit their website here.

Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here .