Laker Shakes
For many residents and visitors to the Glen Lake area, summer’s relaxed pace and delicious warmth wouldn’t be complete without a cool, smooth malted, cone or sundae from Laker Shakes. The venerable Burdickville destination, on the east side of Big Glen Lake, has been owned and operated by Richard Hargreaves since 1987. The white-haired, slender proprietor, familiar to two generations of ice cream lovers, served up his final cone in 2008, before handing his well-worn scoop over to Laker Shakes’ new owners, sisters Ellen and Mary O’Neill.
Contact information:
8995 S Dunns Farm Rd, Burdickville … (231) 334-4669
Read this excerpt from Josephine Arrowood’s story, “Old Hellos, New Goodbyes: Laker Shakes Scoop!” which ran in the Glen Arbor Sun in August 2008:
Asked why they’ve taken on the challenges of running an ice cream shop in rural northern Michigan, the two women laugh. “We have a strong entrepreneurial streak,” Ellen says. “I had a desire to come back to the area, and get out of corporate America, slowly.” The Michigan State University graduate works as a marketer for high-tech firms, currently with EMC in New York City. Her role in this new enterprise will be largely as the silent partner, while Mary, who has extensive experience in marketing, advertising and grant writing, will oversee Laker Shakes’ daily operations.
