Marcia and Dan Wagner opened their specialty food and wine store in the first quarter of 2010 to keep people shopping in Allegan for some of the items that they used to leave town to find. The demand was there and Montage was nearly an instant story of retail success.
Customers filed in to buy deli meals, specialty cheeses, coffees and other gourmet grocery products. With more than 800 bottles of wine on hand, 100 different craft beers and a variety of India Pale Ales to select from, Marcia Wagner soon needed to hire employees beyond the original one staffer at Montage.
By the end of the year, she employed three people and added a fourth in 2011.
"My husband and I think that Allegan is the coolest little community around," she says. "We sell a lot of Michigan-made products and we have our own labeled extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. They are both made in Italy."
Soup and dip mixes, mustards, sauces and salsas line the Montage shelves. Its deli items are prepared daily, and unique cheeses are among the most in-demand items drawing shoppers in Montage’s doors.
"We sell cheese curds from Wisconsin and that’s hard to find," Wagner says. "There is also a 12-year-old aged cheddar that is very popular. And hummus--40 different flavors. We’re known for our hummus."
During warm weather, patrons take advantage of Montage’s unique picnic basket service. It allows them to choose the items they want and take their meals to the park overlooking the river.
"We fill their basket and throw in a tablecloth to sit on," Wagner says. "After they’re done, they bring the basket and tablecloth back."
The young store just keeps growing.
"Sales keep going up every month and we’re very excited about what we have seen," Wagner says. "We’re gearing up for a very busy spring. I just know it will be."
Writer: Kelle Barr, Second Wave
Source: Marcia Wagner, Montage
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