Next Ge N , Petoskey

evolve with a fast-changing marketplace, but don’t lose traditions that built the downtown. t hat’s the challenge facing a fresh class of entrepreneurs taking the reins in Petoskey. We check in with 12 business owners to hear their ideas for the future of one of the Midwest’s standout small-town downtowns.

Matt & Jessilynn n or cross Owners, McLean & eak in BOOks eLLer s

He never thought he’d own the family store, but between undergrad and grad school, Matt Norcross was home working with books at the shop, and he hit it off with Jessilynn, a teacher who had moved to Petoskey to work at her favorite book nook. The two were “blindsided by the fact that we loved the store,” Jessilynn says.

The Norcrosses, both 34, cite modern business principles and a sense of giving as keys to catering to an everevolving clientele. “We want our downtown available to people when people are available for downtown,” Matt says. So McLean & Eakin stays open seven days a week, with evening hours. Since 1996 the store has given over $100,000 to Petoskey schools, and gives readers face time with favorite authors. This summer’s lineup of book signings is already packed with lit celebs.

Proof they’re on the right track: Winning major industry awards for bookselling and customer events and a praisefilled column in the New York Times by author Ann Patchett last May.

“In the same way that there’s been a return to local and organic foods, the appreciation of a downtown is coming back,” Jessilynn says. “There’s a fierce sense of independence that’s coming with it, and everybody is breaking the

nO ah Marsha LL - r as hid

Brand Manager, a Mer ican s POOn f OOds

Given his inquisitive spirit, it’s only natural that this Petoskey native ventured away from his hometown. The son of local notables (Dad is the founder of American Spoon Foods, and Mom was Petoskey mayor), Noah Marshall-Rashid, 31, attended the James Madison College at Michigan State University, then moved on to Chicago and Los Angeles. But he didn’t stay away.

“For me, this is home,” he says. “In a lot of ways it’s Old World, and right now it’s really affordable. The big city and suburban experiences have worn thin. This is a unique alternative.”

Anchor merchant stores go back generations and ground the city’s Gaslight District, and Spoon Foods took root here. “We began making preserves in the basement of Kilwin’s. When we think about doing new things, like gelato, like the cafe and beyond, we think about doing them in Petoskey.”

Noah is inspired by the good turnout at gallery walks and open houses, and anticipates more events like movies in the park for making the district a true pedestrian destination. “I’d love to close off the streets on Friday nights like Traverse City does, keeping shops open later and creating a really fun environment,” he says.

As a member of the planning commission, zoning board and YMCA Board of Directors, Noah says he’s learned that the shops and restaurants downtown share an important element. “We’re lucky to have some really smart people here. It’s an easy detail to forget in a small town. This isn’t just luck— it’s smart people who really work hard to create this sort of atmosphere.” mold. That means that the people who spend time downtown know they’re going to have an experience that they can’t get anywhere else. c hris Jaconette

Owner, Threads in Bay h ar BOr a nd PeTOsk ey & r 3 cLOThing exc hange

A good window display can make headlines all by itself, and Chris Jaconette knows it, so she hires the talent to make it happen. She’s inspired by the creative storefronts in downtown Petoskey, and her own window arrangements have people gathered in front of Threads boutique each time the window art changes. Chris, 40, is known for her store’s knockout displays that draw people in without using a single sellable item—like a ball gown made of red plastic cups. “The presentation of the businesses downtown really shows the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit here,” she says.