Going Coastal, Cherry Republic brew, Hoard expansion, road construction
Gretchen Schuman and Amy Woodward welcome shoppers to Coastal
What’s new, and on the docket, around town in 2017
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
Glen Arbor pedestrians and shopping tourists have one more reason to walk west on M-109 this spring. Just past the Good Harbor Grill and the Pine Cone ice cream shop, Katy and Matt Wiesen have opened the clothing apparel store Coastal in the space formerly occupied by Great Lakes Tea & Spice. The tea & spice shop hopscotched west to the other side of Ruth Conklin Gallery, and now shares a space with Arabella Concepts jewelry store.
The Wiesens already own Crystal River Outfitters, the Cyclery and the M22 store on Glen Arbor’s east end, where the village meets the river. Coastal, which opened in late April, carries women’s and men’s clothing and footwear, with brands that include Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, Patagonia, Cova, Carve Designs, Toms Shoes, Olukai and Quiksilver Watermans.
The product line is distinct from what the Wiesens offer across town. Crystal River Outfitters remains more beach and surf-inspired, said Katy, with sundresses, swimsuits and sandal options. “Coastal takes this concept and turns it up a notch. Need a nice shirt or dress to wear to dinner? We’ve got you covered,” said Katy.
According to Matt, the inspiration for Coastal came out of the need for more retail space at Crystal River Outfitters and the desire to create a dedicated clothing store that would allow them to expand into other brands that “capture the lifestyle of this area”. Seeing an opportunity for growth in the Glen Arbor market, their director of recreational operations encouraged the Wiesens to expand.
“The appeal for the west side is that there are a number of galleries and stores clustered together, which offers a convenient shopping destination,” said Matt. “It’s fun to see Glen Arbor continue to grow as a biking community, and one where visitors can spend a day walking or biking around town and enjoying all it has to offer.”
Coastal plans to be open 7 days a week from May until New Year’s Day.
Cherry Republic’s new headquarters: brewery postponed a year
Bob Sutherland recently moved Cherry Republic’s headquarters and corporate offices to the Village Sampler plaza just south of Anderson’s Market. But don’t worry, nothing about this company, or this town, feels corporate. Sutherland still walks to work on his bare feet, usually three seasons a year. The offices were previously occupied by a pilates and yoga studio, which have relocated down the road to the Old School Hardware building.
“We were looking for a spot strategically close to our store — to our campus on Lake Street,” said Sutherland. “This spot allowed us to bring more staff together in one spot. For the first time in years we really have a conference area with space for individual meetings.”
Prior to this, Cherry Republic had its corporate offices in the upstairs of the rickety Arbor Light building above Petoskey Pete’s, then moved to Traverse City to a space above its Front St. retail location. Through the transitions, his staff has worked in all corners of the Lake St. campus.
“It was fun to hold meetings in the café, but now we have private rooms. Almost all of our Glen Arbor staff of 15-25 can now gather together in the same place.”
Cherry Republic still plans to add a small brewing operation, and serve beer on draft, but has postponed the expansion by a year. The campus on Lake Street will be remodeled, and the café gutted, beginning in November. Beer will be available on the Glen Arbor campus next May. The upgrade will also include an improved kitchen, allowing Cherry Republic to serve dinners at the café.
The on-site brewing operation will represent a relatively small part of Cherry Republic’s foray into beer, Sutherland told the Traverse City Record-Eagle last summer. Bellaire-based Short’s Brewing Company will produce much of the beer sold under Cherry Republic’s brand. Beer may ultimately be served at the Traverse City, Charlevoix, Ann Arbor and Frankenmuth and Holland locations, as well.
Misers’ Hoard expands in Empire; hotel, new cafe planned
A good host offers his living quarters to his guests. That’s Paul Skinner in a nutshell: jolly Brit, Empire booster, antique salesman, and one of the engines behind the Empire Asparagus Festival and other town events.
“After eight seasons (of business) in 2008, Heidi and I decided to give up our living and dining room to expand the shop and accommodate the new product lines we intended to introduce to The Misers’ Hoard,” said Skinner. “In 2016 after yet another eight years with continual growth we were in a position to expand once more, and as importantly claim back our much-missed living space.”
This past winter the Skinners added 1,000 square feet to the commercial space with an additional outdoor sales area on Front Street.
In other Empire news, Steve Nowicki gave up Finicky Fishing Charters to open Shipwreck Café (he hopes by Memorial Day) on M-22 just north of the gas station. Nowicki tired of waking up at 4 a.m. to go charter fishing, he told the Leelanau Enterprise. He’ll focus on soup, salads and sandwiches for takeout. Look for a story on the Shipwreck Café in a subsequent edition of the Sun. Meanwhile, Peter and Megan Schous, who own the Empire Lakeshore Inn and Tiffany’s café, plan to break ground later this summer on a new hotel on M-72 east of the village.
Road construction on M-22
You’ve heard the joke: “there are two seasons in Michigan … winter, and road construction.” So it goes.
Nearly 13 miles of M-22, all between Glen Arbor and Leland, will undergo pavement repair, asphalt resurfacing and occasion lane closings between now and early August. As reported by the Enterprise, the $6.5 million project covers 12.7 miles of the state highway between Thoreson Road near Glen Arbor and M-204 south of Leland. Team Elmers will do the job.
The upside? The road improvements will widen the road shoulders from 3 to 5 feet, which is good news for bikers along M-22.
Single lane closures will happen under flag control, with delays expected to last fewer than 10 minutes at a time.
Got community news, write to us at editor@glenarborsun.com.
