PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Back in that familiar red, white and blue, the Ottawa Beach General Store will reopen on Friday after an offseason rebuild dedicated to replicating its original design, beloved for decades by beachgoers on the lakeshore.
"Two days away," said manager Linda Dykert, standing on the store's newly-poured porch. "It's going to be good."
Built in the late 1930s, the ice cream shop that sells "a little bit of everything" in Park Township was torn down last September. The foundation that long supported creaky, wooden floors needed a full repair.
READ MORE: So long, summertime: Ottawa Beach General Store says goodbye to historic building
While "a sad day," the demolition and rebuild have brought the General Store into a fresh era with that same nostalgic feel, kept by bold colors and vintage signs carried over from the old building.
Beneath red umbrellas and picnic tables, a new deck boasts added seating. Nearby, the painted Ottawa Beach General Store sign stands in a slightly new position, moved further away from the road to comply with building code. A handicap-accessible ramp also leads up to the service counter.
READ MORE: How the Ottawa Beach General Store is rebuilding its original, iconic storefront
"For locals who know the intimate details, they may see some of the differences, but it does very much mirror the old General Store," said Dykert, telling a story about an out-of-town man who didn't realize the store had been rebuilt: "He had no idea."
Inside the store, the vintage wooden countertop from the former building still sits in front of aisles of candy, camping, and beach-related merchandise. Chalkboard signs still hang above them all.
"It's a part of what we had in the past," Dykert said. "Candy and the General Store are synonymous with one another."
While "big deliveries" are still on their way, according to Dykert, a new walk-in freezer and new ice cream equipment means the store will be ready to dish out 156 flavors of soft serve and nearly 40 flavors of hard serve in addition to shakes, malts and flurries this Memorial Day weekend.
"We love to serve ice cream," Dykert said. "There's so much joy in it."
The Ottawa Beach General Store will reopen at noon on Friday, May 24.
