A Laker Shake-up

Photo: Laker Shakes new owners Brad and Kate Alger.

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

The name conjures up a certain image for generations, both summertime vacationers and long-term residents. Ice cream and shakes of course, but also coffee, sandwiches, souvenirs and all the other items Laker Shakes is known for.

The ice cream-and-more shop on the south end of Glen Lake, a five-minute walk from Old Settlers Park, has been a fixture for decades. Kate Alger is making sure that continues.

“I always had a dream of being part of the community, serving the community,” Alger says. A longtime summer visitor and resident, Alger purchased Laker Shakes from owner Ellen O’Neill earlier this year. She and her husband Brad have been visiting the area since 2011. “We’re excited.”

For O’Neill, the change is somewhat bittersweet. She owned the business for 17 years and while she had decided it was time to move on, she will miss interacting with customers. “This was a labor of love for me and it took a lot to build the business up,” she says.

“The most important thing for me was being a part of the community, and offering both jobs and housing for people,” O’Neill adds. In addition to Laker Shakes, the property has a small rental home just behind the store.

Alger echoes that sentiment. “I feel like we’re a part of a community. When I tell people I’m the new owner, they say welcome! I love the feeling of small towns.”

Laker Shakes joined the Burdickville “downtown” area back in the late ’50s as the Glen Lake Workshop. Rich Hargreaves bought the property in 1986, transforming it into Laker Shakes, famed for its ice cream cones and milkshakes (hence the name). Ellen and her sister Mary bought it in 2008, adding more Michigan-based products as it became a summertime general store. “The offerings changed over the years. It evolved,” O’Neill says.

Now, it’s Alger’s turn. While she and Brad spent time sprucing the place up prior to opening, she doesn’t intend to make any major changes. Alger plans to bring in some new products to complement what’s already there, but promises the overall vibe won’t change. “We will take time to build it into what we imagine it could be,” she says.

“There’s an opportunity to do more. I’d like it to be more of a coffee place. We want to get some … unique things,” she continues, mentioning Starbucks coffee as one possibility. What’s currently not on the table is changing the seasonal business to one that is open year-round.

The couple is based in Denver, where Brad is a physician with a family practice. Kate will continue her work with the online company Certinia, which provides services including human resources, accounting and scheduling. As she works remotely, she will be able to spend more time at their cottage here while overseeing things at Laker Shakes.

She says hiring staff who embrace that service concept Laker Shakes is known for will relieve pressure on her to be there all the time. “I’d like it to be somewhat on auto pilot,” says Alger. She hopes to have at least six people on staff, not including herself or other family members.

The couple has five children, with the youngest still in school at Arizona State. While in college he has worked at Cold Stone Creamery, and Kate says his knowledge of ice cream helped as they readied the store for summer. Laker Shakes continues to carry Moomers ice cream—a boon to her as well as their customers. “He flew out, and we got to try all the different flavors to see which we like. It was a fun experience.

“I’m hoping he’ll come out and help me out” this summer, she says.

Brad will maintain his practice, coming to the area when he can. Perhaps that’s not really the best idea if they want to keep their stock intact. “The family joked about how much my husband loves ice cream,” Kate laughs.

The print version of this story in our June 5 edition incorrectly stated that the new owners added Moomers ice cream. In fact, Ellen O’Neill has carried it for 15 years. We regret the error.