Cops and Doughnuts

by Amanda Wisswell, Vision Mid Michigan

Cops and Doughnuts in Clare, Mich. is a made-from-scratch bakery owned by the Clare police force. And, this bakery is known by more than just the locals. The cop-owned shop has started a nationwide craze.
Clare City Bakery has passed through several owners since the Foss family opened it in 1896. More than 100 years later, [...]

Trillium

by Amanda Wisswell, Vision Mid Michigan

While the fashions of mid-Michigan have changed over the last 63 years, the outstanding service of Mount Pleasant’s classiest and most chic store is certainly not a dying fad.
Trillium is a ladies’ clothing store selling high end fashion lines like Estee Lauder, Brighton and Vera Bradley. Helen Chase has owned the store for 29 years [...]

Bob’s Barbershop

by Noelle Minasian, Vision Street Team

Locally owned, mom-and-pop shops are the backbone of every community. These businesses have stories that contribute to the vibe of the community. Each year locally owned shops continue to find new ways to grow and thrive, despite economic ups and downs and increased competition. Vision celebrates the locally owned businesses in mid-Michigan and encourages shopping [...]

At local co-op, it’s easy being green

by Brooke Adams, Vision Mid Michigan

Downtown Mount Pleasant’s Green Tree Cooperative Grocery is not your typical grocery store—and that’s a good thing.
The co-op currently has about 900 plants sprouting, using only organic or heirloom seeds along with organic soil. There is no single owner of a cooperative grocery store. Green Tree is owned by approximately 700 households in the surrounding [...]

Vintage ice cream parlor scoops out success in Clare

by Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center

Melanie Muir first worked scooping ice cream for Dairy Queen in her hometown, carving out the tasty dessert and weighing it in a small vintage ice cream scale.
So when Melanie and her husband, Trevor, spotted the vintage ice cream scale in the kitchen of the Dairy Phil in Clare, they had an entrepreneurial idea. [...]

Just say ‘Omm’

by Rachel Esterline, Vision Mid Michigan

OmBodies Yoga Studio and Boutique in downtown Mount Pleasant is brightly lit in the front area with yoga mats and organic clothing available for purchase. Behind a wall, the muted lighting, candles and soft yoga music lend a sense of calmness to the people who are participating in the 5,000 year old practice of yoga [...]

Calling all goddesses

by Tracy Burton, Vision Mid Michigan

For Megan Vettraino, driving from Traverse City to get her hair done at Aphrodite – a new up and coming salon located in Mount Pleasant – is well worth every minute of the commute.
“I love the new Aphrodite salon,” said Vettraino. “The girls are a class act and provide the most professional and luxurious services [...]

Local business owners optimistic following holiday sales

by Rachel Esterline, Vision Mid Michigan

Cathy Smith, owner of Basketree in Mount Pleasant, said people were more aware of shopping local during this past holiday season and holiday business was up from last year.
Her experience echoes that of other retailers both locally and nationally following better-than-expected sales that some say point to signs of an economic recovery. According to the [...]

Sip one, purl two: Ithaca shop offers knitting with a side of caffeine

by Cynthia J. Drake, Vision Mid Michigan

Throughout history, knitting circles have been occasions for women to gather and catch up on the news of the day, from politics to the latest town gossip.
Suzanne Bailey updated the knitting circle concept when she opened her unique store in downtown Ithaca four years ago, Sip & Knit at 142 E. Center St.
And speaking of [...]