OUR
STORY
It all began in 1972 with Charles Gray Hoffman, better known as Captain Gray of Captain Gray’s Boat Tours [pictured above]. For 30 years, Captain Gray made his living and his life on the “thumb” of the Finger Lakes with the help of his family running two tour boats from Roseland Amusement Park.
The Hoffman clan, consisted of Gray, his wife Dee, and nine children. Dee became known as the “Ticket Lady,” and according to Captain Gray, was the reason they were able to do it all.
Captain Gray and Dee have now passed, and the business went to their son, Jadon Hoffman, also a boat Captain.
In 2004, Jadon opened Captain Gray's Bait & Lake on City Pier while still running the tour boats for visitors and the community to enjoy until taking the boats officially out of the water in 2007.
Captain Gray’s Bait & Lake started as a bait shop and later evolved to The Pier Market when their second daughter Amy Hoffman became more involved in 2015. As years have passed, the Hoffman family have expanded the little shop to include merchandise and other Finger Lakes memorabilia.
The Hoffman family still owns and operates The Pier Market on City Pier.
Pictured (from left to right): Amy Hoffman, Anne Hoffman, Brian Hoffman, Laura Hoffman, Megan Hoffman, Jadon Hoffman