New Ownership at the Thunder Bay Inn
Been to Big Bay lately? It probably looks the same as it did the last time you were there, and maybe that’s part of the appeal. But there are changes behind the scenes… like new ownership at the Thunder Bay Inn.
After running it for 12 years, Gretchen and Wayne Peacock have sold to Mark and Sue Bevins. The Bevins hail from Washington, Michigan, but Mark has been a regular visitor to the area since he was a child.
Like a lot of transplants, Mark fell in love with the Big Bay area and has worked to make this place his year-round home. Buying the Thunder Bay Inn closed the deal.
“I’ve been dreaming about owning this inn for 30 years”, Mark says. Talking to him, you get the sense he has a real passion for what he’s jumped into, which will serve him well as he takes over during challenging times.
In addition to its “Anatomy of a Murder” connection, the inn has a charm and warmth that make it a great stop for a meal and a drink when in Big Bay. Bevins plans on expanding the dining area as well doing some updating to the hotel lobby.
They’ve been able to keep some key personnel, but expect to see Mark and Sue working all facets of the operation, and that includes making sure patrons enjoy the place as much as they do.
Opening Soon… Fit Body Boot Camp
The pandemic has been particularly tough on fitness gyms. They were closed down in Michigan for almost six months, only to be allowed to reopen, with the full complement of restrictions, earlier this month.
Not all have or will survive that kind of hit to the revenue stream.
But as one gym door closes, another opens. As reported here back in June, Peak Gymnastics made the difficult decision to close their Marquette Township facility permanently. Enter… Fit Body Boot Camp.
Sean and Cheryne Clements are flexing their Fit Body muscles in this very competitive, and seemingly crowded market..
A little different approach to the gym experience may help Fit Body carve out a niche. They’ll offer workouts featuring accountability coaching and personalized nutrition guidance in 30-minute sessions designed to accommodate busy lifestyles.
With education and experience in physical fitness, Sean and Cheryne and a staff of professional trainers will plan and lead the workouts
Their philosophy? “We want to inspire fitness and change lives,” Sean says.
They’ll be working from a successful template, as Fit Body Boot Camp has more than 700 locations worldwide. And of course they’ll be following a strict cleaning protocol. Nobody wants to see gyms closed down again anytime soon.
You can find them on Facebook at Marquette Fit Body Boot Camp and you can watch for their opening sometime in mid-October.
Pandemic Updates
With all the uncertainty that has accompanied the pandemic, one thing is for sure… it’s going to get cold. Likely too cold for many of the area bar-only facilities to continue serving thirsty and socially-deprived patrons, outside.
Hearing from a few of the local establishments, solid plans are hard to come by. Constantly changing rates of infection and the accompanying evolving and often confusing workplace requirements coming out of Lansing make long-range planning next to impossible.
Blackrocks Brewery co-owner Andy Langlois says they’re taking it one day at a time. “We’ll be open for take-out throughout the winter”, but that’s about all he can guarantee. With a recent addition of space, they have plenty of outdoor seating, but they can’t control the north wind.
Andy Langlois and Joe Secreast
This weekend’s Oktoberfest might be the last big event at Blackrocks for a while, depending upon the weather of course. “We’re just going to hang on until spring”, Langois says.
Talking to the beertender at the Ore Dock, the sentiment is similar. They’re taking things week-to-week and keeping an eye on the latest executive orders. With a generous amount of floor space, the Ore Dock would have more inside service options available, if they choose to go that route.
At Flanigan’s, also a beverage-only bar currently serving outdoors, they’re also keeping an eye on the regulations with the thought that winter might mean a disruption of service. But of course, one never knows. Tomorrow is a new day.
It’s a difficult time for almost all businesses, but particularly so for food and drink establishments.
What can you do? Continue to enjoy the local fare. And be nice to your server.
Celebrity Sightings
Was celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in Marquette? The rumor-mill says yes. Photographic evidence seems to confirm that he was in Houghton, but we’ve been unable to confirm a Marquette appearance. Did anybody see him? If so, post a photo for proof.
We occasionally hear of random celebrity sightings, and why not? Who wouldn’t want to visit the Queen City of the North, particularly these days when we boast a relatively low rate of confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Recently we’ve heard that Channing Tatum was here. A few years ago Kid Rock was allegedly spotted dropping off his daughter at Northern. With a local connection through family Jeff Daniels is a frequent visitor. Surprisingly, none of them have given me a heads-up.
Did we miss anybody?