These businesses opened in Jackson County in 2023

JACKSON, MI – From long-awaited retail stores to family-owned eateries, many new Jackson County businesses opened in 2023.

Here’s a look at some of the businesses that opened this year.

Old Irish Mill

After almost nine years of setbacks and delays, parts of the Old Irish Mill opened to the public in May.

Daniel Ross, owner of TransPharm PreClinical Solutions, bought the former Ford Motor Co. plant at 221 Mill St. in Brooklyn in 2014, with plans to turn it into an attraction. After some setbacks and several changes to the plans, a marijuana dispensary and the Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce have finally moved into the historic building.

Hydrobudz and the chamber of commerce have moved into a 5,000-square-foot space on the left side of the building. These are just two businesses for the Old Irish Mill. The project also calls for a large event space inside the 30,000-square-foot building, as well as a demonstration kitchen and Irish restaurant and more.

Murphy’s Bistro

A new bistro has made its way into downtown Jackson. Owner Jessica Tobin and general manager Emma Stark opened Murphy’s Bistro in the former Economy Art & Framing building at 145 W. Michigan Ave.

The restaurant had a soft opening Dec. 5 and will host a grand opening in the future. Murphy’s Bistro offers sandwiches, salads, baked goods and other items. They will also sell craft beer and wine, Tobin said.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a fast, casual restaurant, opened in the fall inside a 1,400-square-foot-building with a drive thru by Hobby Lobby in Jackson Crossing, 1361 Boardman Road.

The chain has more than 1,175 U.S. locations and features a variety of smoothies and foods for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Dairy Queen

The new Dairy Queen at 2588 Airport Road in Blackman Township was first announced in September 2022. While construction saw some delays, the location opened in March, co-owner Rania Eljawad said.

Owners and franchisees Todd Haidous and Eljawad own several other Dairy Queen locations in Southern Michigan, including in Genesee and Hillsdale counties.

This is the third Dairy Queen in the Jackson County area. The others are at 106 N. Elm Ave. in the city and 224 Fifth St. in Michigan Center. While these two established locations only offer soft serve, this new Dairy Queen serves food, too.

The Front Porch JXN

Owners Kendra Dolson and Courtney Webber share a passion for growing things. In 2020, the pair, friends since they were 12 years old, decided to turn that passion into a Jackson business called The Front Porch JXN.

Dolson and Webber started selling flowers they had around their homes, booked a couple of weddings and things took off from there. The two have since moved the business from their homes into a brick-and-mortar location next door to the Jackson Candle Company, 218 S. Mechanic St.

The Five Forks

The Five Forks was born out of COVID-19 when sisters Mallory Vredeveld and Maddison Husted were either laid off or left their jobs. Baking has always been a passion for Husted, so she messaged Vredeveld one day, asking if she wanted to just bake cakes for some extra funds, Vredeveld said.

The business grew and expanded to an actual brick-and-mortar location in February at 1194 N. West Ave., Suite A.

517 Drift

Chris Schiffman quickly fell in love with the remote-control drift car community he became a part of a couple of years ago and wanted to share his passion with others.

Schiffman opened his own track, 517 Drift, inside Westwood Mall in spring 2023 in the mall’s hallway. However, after he found tearing down and rebuilding the tracks almost daily to be too much work, Schiffman relocated into an empty 5,200-square-foot space next to Applebee’s.

Blessed In

Timothy Lewis, also known as “Lew,” moved his business “Blessed In” into Westwood Mall on July 21. After selling clothes online and from his vehicle for several years, Lewis said he decided it was time to transition into a brick-and-mortar store so he could have more face-to-face interactions with customers.

Lewis’ fashion journey began in high school when he was known by his peers as a “sneaker head” and a fashion guy. When he graduated from Jackson High School in 2011, he was like the other kids in trying to decide what he wanted in a career.

His clothing, for men and women, ranges from hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts, trucker hats and shorts, all designed by Lewis.

Ross Dress for Less

Ross Dress for Less moved into a 21,000-square-foot space inside Jackson Crossing and hosted a grand opening Oct. 7. It replaces Bed, Bath & Beyond, which closed in February 2022.

Customers at Ross Dress For Less can expect to find brand-name items discounted 20-60% off regular department store prices.

Four Corners Coffee

Apryl Macleod spent a lot of time working at coffee shops around the Jackson County area. Eventually, her husband Robb suggested they create a cozy coffee shop of their own.

He started writing a business plan, and they purchased the historic Somerset General Store in 2018 and created Four Corners Coffee, 10250 Somerset Road. While it took a few years, the long-awaited coffee shop opened at the end of August.

Spad’s Twisters

Spad’s Twisters opened in March, replacing Swiss Treat at 4005 Lansing Ave. The business was taken over by Rebecca Lewis, who continues to bring sweet treats to the area.

The ice cream shop specializes in soft-serve treats. The menu features a range of cones, sundaes, shakes and flurries.

Baby Bear Burger

Remnants of the House of Taco have officially disappeared, and a popular Jackson food truck business took its place.

Baby Bear Burger opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant in March. The burger shop received nonstop business, with cars wrapping around the drive-thru to get a taste of the bear-themed burgers, loaded fries, hot dogs, sides and more, owner Marshawn Goodloe said.

Baby Bear Burger announced it was moving into the building at 2400 Page Ave. in February after a year of traveling in a food truck.

A new liquidation center has opened in Jackson — The exterior of the newly opened Jackson Liquidation Center, 975 W. Argyle St. on Monday, June 26.

Jackson Liquidation Center

A new Jackson business featuring rows of bins filled with discounted items just waiting for customers to browse through opened in Jackson in June.

Jackson Liquidation Center, 975 W. Argyle St., offers items available in big-box stores, such as retail merchandise, electronics, appliances, clothes, toys and home décor, at discounted prices.

The business is run by co-owner Abdul Noman. The items inside the store come from overstock items or customer returns from big-box retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot, he said.

Ashley Outlet

Ashley Outlet moved into a 35,000-square-foot store at 950 N. West Ave., in early 2023. The storefront was previously occupied by Art Van Furniture until it closed in 2020.

Ashley Outlet features a wide range of furniture that covers an entire range of budgets, officials said. The Jackson store also features a full mattress gallery.

The Wilderness Maven

Bulk herbs, tinctures and other wellness products can be found in downtown Marshall. Jenn Ziegler-Sherman, with help from her husband Zach Sherman, celebrated the official grand opening of the herbal apothecary called The Wilderness Maven at 211 E. Michigan Ave. in early June.

Ziegler-Sherman is an herbalist, meaning she works with different plants and herbs for health and wellness. Most of her products are geared toward herbs that offer preventative care and gentle remedies, she said.

Los Tres Mex Grill

Los Tres Amigos launched Los Tres Mex Grill, 3236 E. Michigan Ave., in April, adding to the list of Los Tres Amigos locations in Jackson County. This location, however, operates as an “in-and-out” restaurant, where guests come in or call, make an order and get their food, Los Tres Amigos owner Ruffy Ramirez said.

The assembly-line style restaurant is the first of its kind for Los Tres Amigos, Ramirez said. It offers a limited menu, including burritos, bowls, tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas, nachos and sides, as compared to the other restaurants.

A tattoo shop in Jackson is expanding — The unfinished interior of the future 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio, 3200 Wildwood Ave. The tattoo shop is expanding and will offer a welcoming environment.Photo Provided by 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio

21 Blooms Tattoo Studio

Emily Radke has been a tattoo artist for roughly nine years and has worked at several tattoo shops across the country.

She started her own tattoo shop, 21 Blooms Tattoo Studio, in a small 9-foot-by-11-foot space inside Airport Landing Plaza, 3200 Wildwood Ave. It was a one-person show for a couple years before her neighbors at Legacy 517 decided to move to a more favorable location in the plaza.

The expanded tattoo shop opened in December and offers a more upscale, personal and inclusive environment, compared to what some may imagine a tattoo shop to be like.

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: KeniKakes — A chicken and shrimp salad is served at KeniKakes, 107 Hague Ave. in Vandercook Lake, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Chloe Miller | MLive.com

KeniKakes & More

KeniKakes & More moved into a new brick-and-mortar location thanks to help from a revitalization project. Shakanna Blake opened KeniKakes in 2019, moving a year later into a building on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive with C Store Deli.

She left that partnership a year later and has been operating out of a food truck since. However, she was able to move back into a brick-and-mortar store in February at 107 Hague Ave., when she was approached by Jackson’s Black Excellence to help make that happen.

The café, bakery and caterer offers a diverse range of sweets, soul food and home-cooked meals. Some popular items include meatloaf, pot roast, fried chicken, catfish, peach cobbler and chicken salad.

Zero Bar & Lounge

Zero Bar & Lounge was created by friends and co-workers Josnelly Aponte-Martinez and Sandy Yeager. The two operated out of a tent for alast year but hosted an official grand opening for the bar cart in May.

They focus on making non-alcoholic drinks that people staying sober can enjoy. The experience is for adults 21 years old and older who don’t want to just drink juices or sodas at parties and events.

All of the drinks are crafted using zero-proof alternatives of vodka, gin, tequila or rum, making them entirely alcohol free. A mixer is then added, along with some alcohol-free bitters to add some bite that would be missing.

HMN Style

Scott Pienta started HMN Style as an online store in 2021 before turning it into a physical storefront in Hillsdale to increase its storage size. After the store experienced much success, Pienta decided to expand its outreach with a second location in downtown Jackson.

HMN Style, which stands for Hometown Media Network, moved into the former Apricot Lane location inside the Blake Building, 180 W. Michigan Ave. The new clothing boutique features women’s clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry and other accessories.

Balloon Art By Monica

Monica Wieand has been running Balloon Art By Monica since 2022, after she made superhero designs out of balloons for her son’s party and saw how much the kids loved it. She grew out of her workspace in her home, though, and decided in June it was time to move into a suite at 101 Fifth St. in Michigan Center.

Wieand specializes in twisting and shaping balloons into different designs and decorations for events. She has made these for several celebrations, such as balloon garlands for birthday parties or balloon columns for school events

Lakeside Cafe

Lakeside Cafe, 135 Devils Lake Highway in Manitou Beach, was opened by Diann and Al Muck on Memorial Day weekend, along with their daughter and general manager Kelly Stickel.

So far, residents have been enjoying the coffee, sandwiches and homemade soup. The Mucks partner with local businesses to create a hearty menu.

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Elements Juices and More — The exterior at Elements Juices and More, 1083 N. Wisner Street in Jackson, on Thursday, June 15, 2023. The business offers a variety of juice drinks as well as smoothies and healthy food items.J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com

Elements Juice Bar

Janet Parker, along with Hayley Edwards-Bollinger, opened Elements Juice Bar, 1083 N. Wisner St., at the beginning of June, just two doors down from Parker’s other business Sweet Scoops. The two wanted to bring something healthy to the Jackson-area’s hungry residents.

The juice bar offers a range of smoothies, juices, acai bowls and grain bowls.

Come to Your Effin Senses

Amy and Ron Proffitt, with help from shop manager Madison Dunlap, opened a brick-and-mortar location of Come to Your Effin Senses in April at 124 S. Main St. in Brooklyn. The candle business began two years ago while they were looking for unique Christmas gifts for family members, Amy said.

Wanting to make people laugh is also a goal of Come to Your Effin Senses. The candle names don’t shy away from curse words or racy innuendos. Examples are “Spicy Like Stacy’s Mom,” “Pour Some Vanilla on Me” and others that will make people giggle, they said.

CryoHealth

Jimmy and Paula Jarrett opened CryoHealth at 3018 Wildwood Ave., Suite A, in February. The business specializes in offering cryotherapy services, often known as cold therapy, where low temperatures are used to treat pain, acne, inflammation, migraines and more.

While most people are used to treating pain through cold, such as by icing a twisted ankle or taking an ice bath after a workout, the services provided by CryoHealth introduce a much colder and faster method the owners said.

Eyemart Express

Optical retailer Eyemart Express opened in Jackson in February at 1250 Boardman Road, next to Hobby Lobby in Jackson Crossing.

Eyemart Express is known for providing affordable prescription eyewear, with free same-day service because of its local lens lab, officials said.

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: La Catrina Bar & Grill — The exterior at La Catrina Bar & Grill, 501 Longfellow Ave. in Jackson, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The restaurant offers traditional Mexican food at the location of the former Chilango’s Cantina Grill.J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com

La Catrina Bar and Grill

La Catrina Bar and Grill took over the former Chilango’s Cantina Grill location at 501 Longfellow Ave. in March. The restaurant is owned by Heladio Sr. and Elvia Lopez, but is managed by their son Heladio Lopez Jr.

On the menu, people can expect to see lunch and dinner options, including burritos, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and chimichangas.

Curiouser Clay

Curiouser Clay was operating for two years inside owner Eli Zemper’s garage in Chelsea until November when it moved inside the Jackson County Tower Building, 120 W. Michigan Ave.

At Curiouser Clay, people can purchase items made by local artists including ornaments, bowls, mugs and prints. However, being a former teacher, Zemper also hosts workshops where residents could tap into their creative side.

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