Gazing out the window of her office above city hall in downtown St. Ignace, Debbie Evashevski,
Downtown Economic Development Authority Director, had a vision for this small but vibrant town situated along the Straits of Mackinac. However, at the moment an eyesore was getting in the way of her vision.
She was looking down at the dilapidated remains of a grocery store that had been closed for several years. She knew this eyesore was a road block to development.
Mark Sposito, who had recently sold the very successful and popular
Patrick Sinclair's Irish Pub, out on Mackinac Island, had been thinking the same thing.
"That group of buildings was holding this town up," says Sposito of the store and its dilapidated outbuildings.
Sposito says he and business partner, Andrew Doud, the fourth-generation owner of
Doud's Market on Mackinac Island, had been thinking about how they could acquire the buildings and land, which was positioned on prime waterfront property and not far from a popular boardwalk.
Apparently good things come in threes. It was about this time in 2009 that representatives of the
Michigan Economic Development Corporation had come to town. They asked Evashevski if she had any ideas for an economic development project.
"I'm glad you asked," Evashevski recalls saying. She pointed down at the white elephant that could be seen from her window. She contacted Sposito and Doud, who she knew had interest in the site, and offered them a Community Development Block Grant to get started.
What the partners had in mind, to Evashevski's liking, was to open another grocery store. However, this time it would be different. In fact, it had to be different. St. Ignace already has a grocery store out on the business spur.
The two experienced businessmen and MSU alumni had a lot of ideas on how they could diversify and offer things the competition didn't. But first they had to secure the grant funding and remodel the neglected building.
"There was an old cooler in the building that actually had a tree growing out of it," Sposito says. The tree was getting all the light and water it needed from the wide gap in the roof.
However, before they could even remove the tree out of the cooler they needed to secure the grant. The grant offer was for $270,000, which could be used to purchase the land on the promise that they would employ at least 14 people.
While waiting on a rather lengthy grant approval process, the two business partners were mapping out a strategy for their newest venture.
"We looked at hundreds of different grocery stores to see what they offered," Sposito says. "What we decided on was to add a butcher shop (St. Ignace didn't have one), a deli and a bakery."
Besides offering these goods to local residents, they figured they could sell them to area businesses in St. Ignace and Mackinac Island, including motels and Doud's Market on the Island. They also had plans to add an outdoor café with Wi-Fi and ample room for local vendors to hawk their locally produced wares.
Finally, in June of 2010, after a rather rushed period of remodeling the structure, which had began in March, they opened the downtown store, named Doud's Market also.
The biggest challenge of opening the store wasn't remodeling the building, nor wading through red tape to secure a grant. Sposito says the biggest challenge was keeping pace with a pricing system of over 11,000 items neatly stocked on the shelves. With prices changing every three days for most goods, it's tough to keep up with pricing the goods and programming it into the computer-based checkout system.
"We've had to get a grip on prices and programming," Sposito says. "This town has been very patient and cooperative."
Opening a grocery store in the downtown of a small U.P. town is more than just adding goods and services to the locals. It can have a positive psychological effect on a town that is struggling, especially in these harsh economic times.
"I'm glad to see this building open," Sposito says. "That old eyesore handicapped the downtown."
People passing through St. Ignace this summer should see a lot of activity around Doud's Market. Besides people selling local fare out on the porch, the farmer's market will be using the parking lot to offer fresh produce and other items.
"This should create a little buzz and attract business," Sposito says.
Sposito says opening a grocery store is "three times" more difficult than opening a restaurant. "Andrew said it would be a piece of cake," Sposito says. "I've opened several restaurants and nothing compares to opening a grocery store."
"It's been a way bigger undertaking than I'd thought," Doud says. "But we're having fun."
Neil Moran is a full-time copywriter and owner of Haylake Business Communications, based in Sault Ste. Marie. You can view his services and read more of his articles via his website.