River Street rebounds
Photo by Nick Aseritis
By Barb Mosher, Contributing Writer
Now that the majority of downtown Elk Rapids businesses are welcoming shoppers and diners following the coronavirus shutdown, we’ll be checking in with some of them to see how re-opening is going. This week, we talked to the owners of Chef Charles’, Stoney Cabin Toys, and Blue Owl Antiques.
Charles Egeler, affectionately and professionally known as Chef Charles, has been serving up “pizza with pizzazz” along with specialty sandwiches and salads at his namesake restaurant in downtown Elk Rapids for 25 years. When he opened March 1 after his annual three-month winter break, he fired up his oven and looked forward to another culinary season on River Street. Then came the coronavirus.
On March 16, in accordance with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order, Egeler modified his business to take-out orders only. Less than two weeks later, as the confirmed cases of Covid-19 began to increase in the area, and as he considered his kitchen that is open-aired to the dining room/pick-up area, and as he noted that the “vast majority” of his most recent customers had come from downstate or out of state, he turned off his oven, wrote “Closed” on a cardboard pizza circle and hung it on the door.
Egeler went home, tackled some household projects, and kept an eye on the pandemic’s spread and the efforts to mitigate it. By the middle of May, he was comfortable enough to re-open for take-out Tuesday through Saturday. He says he would increase his open time if he could find enough employees. “I’ve hired just about everyone available,” he said. “I’ve snatched everyone who applied.”
While Egeler’s not currently offering inside dining, he has four picnic tables with colorful umbrellas on his back patio and says business has been better than ever with sales hitting “Harbor Days-like numbers.”
He’s happy that most people comply with the guidelines he’s implemented (social distancing and masks required inside) to keep himself, his staff, and his community healthy. When he encounters the occasional customer who resists, Egeler confidently steps between them and his young staff.
“You can do what you want on the street,” he explains, “but when you walk into my turf, it’s going to be my way. And, if (Covid-19 infections) start to soar, I have no problem locking my doors for the well-being of everyone.”
Becky Lancaster appreciated the regular coronavirus updates sent to area businesses by the Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce throughout the winter and spring. Still, she was caught off guard when Governor Whitmer signed an order May 18 lifting retail restrictions in northern Michigan in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
“That was a total panic surprise,” said the owner of Stoney Cabin Toys. “I wasn’t ready. I had no help, no stock. Also, I was concerned about the influx of people. So, I decided to stay closed longer, and I’m glad I did.”
Staffing options were narrowed, Lancaster explained, because health concerns prevented her seasonal, part-time employees from returning. The U.S.-China trade war had already impacted her ability to bring in new inventory. And her family was urging her to consider limiting her own exposure to the novel virus.
Ultimately, Lancaster chose to launch the fifth year of her specialty toy shop on June 19 with a reduced, four-days-a-week schedule and herself as the solo worker.
“It was a really tough decision,” she said. “I could justify (not opening at all) because of family and health concerns, but I wanted to support my downtown. Also, I have an investment and inventory, and I’m part of a business district that’s trying to stay alive. Everyone has to make their own decisions.”
Lancaster’s done everything she can to keep Stoney Cabin Toys a fun shopping experience while providing a safe and healthy environment for herself and her customers. She reconfigured the displays and checkout area to create additional open space and removed products that tended to encourage “hands on” testing in the store. A hand sanitizing station sits inside the front door, and masks are required for all who enter (excepting babies and toddlers).
“This is a fun place to own, and a fun place to shop, and I’ve missed my customers,” Lancaster said. “I want them to know that we have safety guidelines in place, and I hope they feel they can come on in and have fun.”
When Governor Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order in March barring non-essential in-person business, Tammy Grant simply closed and locked the doors of her Blue Owl Antiques in downtown Elk Rapids. Thankful that she had no employees to layoff, she says she went home, binged on Netflix, and hoped for the best. As it turns out, six weeks after re-opening in late May, business continues to be brisk for the River Street shop that buys and sells mid-century modern and vintage antiques.
“I would say it’s been going better than this time last summer,” said Grant, now in her third year of operation. “It’s probably almost twice as good.”
And that’s despite a near disaster that showed up the week she reopened in the form of four inches of water in her building’s basement where she stores extra inventory. She quickly began stacking furniture and other items out of harm’s way and was relieved when the village’s Department of Public Works discovered and corrected the source of the problem: a leak in a nearby abandoned water service line.
After the coronavirus closure and the averted flood damage, Grant happily unlocked the store’s front door once again, this time with social distancing and sanitizing protocols in place. She was pleased to welcome eager shoppers almost immediately.
“I think everyone’s just glad to get out of the house and shop again,” she said. “It’s probably a little too early to tell, and it will be what it will be. But given that I’ve done so well in June, I’m hopeful.”
Now that the majority of downtown Elk Rapids businesses are welcoming shoppers and diners following the coronavirus shutdown, we’ll be checking in with some of them to see how re-opening is going. This week, we talked to the owners of Chef Charles’, Stoney Cabin Toys, and Blue Owl Antiques.
Charles Egeler, affectionately and professionally known as Chef Charles, has been serving up “pizza with pizzazz” along with specialty sandwiches and salads at his namesake restaurant in downtown Elk Rapids for 25 years. When he opened March 1 after his annual three-month winter break, he fired up his oven and looked forward to another culinary season on River Street. Then came the coronavirus.
On March 16, in accordance with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order, Egeler modified his business to take-out orders only. Less than two weeks later, as the confirmed cases of Covid-19 began to increase in the area, and as he considered his kitchen that is open-aired to the dining room/pick-up area, and as he noted that the “vast majority” of his most recent customers had come from downstate or out of state, he turned off his oven, wrote “Closed” on a cardboard pizza circle and hung it on the door.
Egeler went home, tackled some household projects, and kept an eye on the pandemic’s spread and the efforts to mitigate it. By the middle of May, he was comfortable enough to re-open for take-out Tuesday through Saturday. He says he would increase his open time if he could find enough employees. “I’ve hired just about everyone available,” he said. “I’ve snatched everyone who applied.”
While Egeler’s not currently offering inside dining, he has four picnic tables with colorful umbrellas on his back patio and says business has been better than ever with sales hitting “Harbor Days-like numbers.”
He’s happy that most people comply with the guidelines he’s implemented (social distancing and masks required inside) to keep himself, his staff, and his community healthy. When he encounters the occasional customer who resists, Egeler confidently steps between them and his young staff.
“You can do what you want on the street,” he explains, “but when you walk into my turf, it’s going to be my way. And, if (Covid-19 infections) start to soar, I have no problem locking my doors for the well-being of everyone.”
Becky Lancaster appreciated the regular coronavirus updates sent to area businesses by the Elk Rapids Chamber of Commerce throughout the winter and spring. Still, she was caught off guard when Governor Whitmer signed an order May 18 lifting retail restrictions in northern Michigan in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
“That was a total panic surprise,” said the owner of Stoney Cabin Toys. “I wasn’t ready. I had no help, no stock. Also, I was concerned about the influx of people. So, I decided to stay closed longer, and I’m glad I did.”
Staffing options were narrowed, Lancaster explained, because health concerns prevented her seasonal, part-time employees from returning. The U.S.-China trade war had already impacted her ability to bring in new inventory. And her family was urging her to consider limiting her own exposure to the novel virus.
Ultimately, Lancaster chose to launch the fifth year of her specialty toy shop on June 19 with a reduced, four-days-a-week schedule and herself as the solo worker.
“It was a really tough decision,” she said. “I could justify (not opening at all) because of family and health concerns, but I wanted to support my downtown. Also, I have an investment and inventory, and I’m part of a business district that’s trying to stay alive. Everyone has to make their own decisions.”
Lancaster’s done everything she can to keep Stoney Cabin Toys a fun shopping experience while providing a safe and healthy environment for herself and her customers. She reconfigured the displays and checkout area to create additional open space and removed products that tended to encourage “hands on” testing in the store. A hand sanitizing station sits inside the front door, and masks are required for all who enter (excepting babies and toddlers).
“This is a fun place to own, and a fun place to shop, and I’ve missed my customers,” Lancaster said. “I want them to know that we have safety guidelines in place, and I hope they feel they can come on in and have fun.”
When Governor Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order in March barring non-essential in-person business, Tammy Grant simply closed and locked the doors of her Blue Owl Antiques in downtown Elk Rapids. Thankful that she had no employees to layoff, she says she went home, binged on Netflix, and hoped for the best. As it turns out, six weeks after re-opening in late May, business continues to be brisk for the River Street shop that buys and sells mid-century modern and vintage antiques.
“I would say it’s been going better than this time last summer,” said Grant, now in her third year of operation. “It’s probably almost twice as good.”
And that’s despite a near disaster that showed up the week she reopened in the form of four inches of water in her building’s basement where she stores extra inventory. She quickly began stacking furniture and other items out of harm’s way and was relieved when the village’s Department of Public Works discovered and corrected the source of the problem: a leak in a nearby abandoned water service line.
After the coronavirus closure and the averted flood damage, Grant happily unlocked the store’s front door once again, this time with social distancing and sanitizing protocols in place. She was pleased to welcome eager shoppers almost immediately.
“I think everyone’s just glad to get out of the house and shop again,” she said. “It’s probably a little too early to tell, and it will be what it will be. But given that I’ve done so well in June, I’m hopeful.”
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