Gersensons expand curling, sell Leelanau hotels, close Cedar City Market
Left-to-right, Shiloh, Theresa, David, and Juniper Gersenson.
From staff reports
David and Theresa Gersenson, who launched the Leelanau Curling Club and opened Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse in Maple City in 2019, are betting big on curling and growing the sport into new markets. David and fellow Leelanau County resident Ben Bryant have launched Curl Austin and opened a curling facility in Austin, Texas. They are partnering with the Lone Star Curling Club and have hired Tyler George, a member of 2018 Olympic gold medal team, who will relocate from Duluth, Minn., to Texas.
“This is the first dedicated curling club in the history of Texas,” said Gersenson. “It’s the furthest southern curling facility in the country. We’ve got two now (including the Leelanau Curling Club). Let’s see if it works. If we can prove this model, let’s see about expanding.”
“Our goal with curling is to change the trajectory of the growth of the sport in America.”
How did the Austin connection happen? Gersenson said that a customer joined a “learn to curl” class in December 2019 at the Leelanau Curling Club, and Gersenson shared his vision for the sport. Several days later, while holiday shopping, he received a call from the president of the Lone Star Curling Club. An opportunity soon arose to rent a facility in Austin.
Gersenson added that the Leelanau Curling Club is doing well financially, and generating customer interest, though hours are limited as he struggles to find enough staff to help. Gersenson plans to hire a full-time employee from Midland who will begin running the club around Labor Day. The employee, Austin Carlson, is a lifelong curler who will live at Maple Lane Resort, which the Gersensons own.
“Having the right employees are a lifeline of businesses operating up here,” he said.
Hotels sold, Broomstack employee-owned
The Gersensons, who at one point owned eight different local businesses, have taken several steps back, prompted in part by the struggle to find managers and employees. They have sold the Sylvan Inn and M22 Inn Glen Arbor to employees Jim and Laurie Adams, and sold the M22 Inn Suttons Bay to employee Kevin Klockzeim. The Gersensons will hold on to Maple Lane Resort on Little Glen Lake, which they say “is doing amazing.”
“It starts with taking a step back,” said David. “It became apparent to me that we have serious issues in the labor market. It’s also important that small businesses I own become owner-operated, to make sure they can put their best foot forward. It was also a good time to sell.”
“Theresa and I had too much to juggle. We didn’t need all of it. … I’m certainly moving toward my passion in curling.”
Meanwhile, the Gersensons are transferring 57% of their ownership of Broomstack to employees, including managing partner Alfiero Silveri, who was previously operations manager for Trattoria Stella in Traverse City. David and Theresa will retain a 40% share.
“Broomstack is doing amazing,” said Gersenson. “We’re beating 2019 revenues by 29-30%, even though our hours are 50% of what they were when we started. We’re only open five days a week instead of seven, and not opening until 4 pm.”
Cedar City Market to close
Cedar City Market II, the specialty grocery and butchery which opened early this year in the former Pleva’s Meats space in downtown Cedar, will soon close its doors, the business posted on Facebook on August 16.
“We didn’t have time to take part in day-to-day operations, which resulted in payroll spinning out of control. It’s clear that a business like this has to be owner operated. We are open to offering favorable lease terms to a tenant to help get them through the winter and hopefully see this project through for the community.”
Prior to the announcement, Gersenson had told the Glen Arbor Sun that the market had struggled since the day it opened.
“Summer didn’t bring what we hoped it would bring. We kept on waiting for an uptick. There was some support from tourists. But we haven’t seen an uptick in business that we had hoped for.”
