Lisa Mesenbring, owner of Chicago Bay Marketplace, is happy to be celebrating her third year in business at the Hovland store.
Chicago Bay Marketplace in Hovland is hosting a grand opening of Chicago Bay Bottle Shop, the first off-sale liquor store on the east end of Cook County. But owner Lisa Mesenbring added that the event is also a celebration of the market’s third year in business. “I’m calling it our third birthday party,” said Mesenbring.
Three years ago, Chicago Bay Marketplace opened as a bakery/deli and community store. It was an instant success, and Mesenbring has enjoyed three years of strong local support. “It’s been a hard three years, but it’s been worth it. It is amazing how much the community has supported us.”
That support is in part due to the delicious pizza, sandwiches, and baked goods, in part due to the welcoming café atmosphere, and to other additions, such as acoustic musical offerings on the first Monday of each month and free WIFI for travelers and internetless Hovland residents.
And now, the bottle shop, which opened on April 15.
“Almost every customer has left the new bottle shop with a smile on their face,” said Mesenbring. “We have waited a long time in Hovland and Grand Portage for this service, and the excitement of our customers is evident by the response.”
She explained that the bottle shop is a reinvestment of dollars spent by the community, to ensure the longevity of the store by adding products that will help carry the business through the long, quiet winter months.
The Hovland area has grown significantly in the past 20 years, due to vast tracts of land sold off by timber companies in the early 1990s, which created opportunities for recreational and retirement home properties. Grand Portage draws many Canadians and summer vacationers to the lodge and casino. “This is a seasonal recreational area and year-round home to many people. The store and bottle shop provides a service to folks who wish to avoid long and costly trips to Grand Marais,” says Mesenbring.
Mesenbring said as the community continues to grow, more small businesses will likely be attracted to the area as well.
The grand opening, to which the entire community is invited, will be Friday, May 13 from 4-8 p.m. Snacks will be served with free samples of beer and wine donated by Bernick’s (for those 21+), and door prizes will be given away. Ten percent of all sales during the grand opening will be donated to the Hovland Volunteer Fire Department.
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