Seneca County Small Business of the Year: Finger Lakes Cider House

Finger Lakes Cider House was started in 2014 with just a vision.  It has now grown into a thriving organic farm, cider house, farm to table restaurant and even operates a yurt rental for glamping (and plans to grow with more yurts). They offer several different flavors of cider, using all home-grown organic apples specifically for cider.  They specialize in the champagne method of cider making.

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At the cider house, they offer a tasting room as well as a restaurant and regularly have entertainment/live music. Visitors also have the option of farm tours and u-pick for apples and peaches. Additionally, they sell their ciders online and ship nationwide. They are passionate about sustainable agriculture and have created an operation that is both eco-friendly as well as a place of enjoyment for food, cider and entertainment.

They managed to weather the pandemic despite many in the food/beverage and hospitality industry not surviving. While they had their struggles, they have come out on the other side and are looking to grow in the agri-tourism space. Garrett Miller, owner, first came to the SBDC in 2020 for assistance during the pandemic. Currently, he is working with SBDC on evaluating his business and positioning for growth.

Their success has come through perseverance even during difficult times and growth into other revenue areas, such as agri-tourism, and of course by creating great ciders! They have proven that it is possible to be eco-friendly and profitable.