Sneak peek: Rebuilt Ottawa Beach General Store opens Friday

PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The newly rebuilt Ottawa Beach General Store is set to reopen Friday at noon, just in time for the holiday weekend.

The iconic red building near Holland State Park, located at 2256 Ottawa Beach Rd., was torn down at the end of last season and rebuilt. The decades-old building had sinking floors and a foundation at the end of its life.

Crews worked to rebuild it as close to the original building as possible, with some modern updates like air conditioning. The ice cream workspace has been expanded so servers can work more efficiently, and a wheelchair ramp has been added to the deck.

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There are also new products like new clothing items, new decorative pieces and an expanded alcohol selection.

Operator Linda Dykert is excited to reopen to the community.

“There’s so many good memories that have been made,” she said. “We have grandmas who come in with their grandchildren who tell us that they came to the store with their grandmas.”

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She added there’s a long history for both local residents and tourists.

“There’s just a long, long history there. People have been coming since the 30s,” she said. “People have been coming for a long, long time and they come back year after year. It’s a great place to get drinks and ice cream when you’re out by the beach.”

The General Store has morphed over the years, starting out as a small grocery store. It now offers ice cream — with 40 flavors of hard serve ice cream, 24 soft serve flavors and several sundaes — candy, camping supplies and more.

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It often attracts long lines from beachgoers looking for a sweet treat after a day in the sun.

“It’s a gathering place,” Dykert said. “It’s been a gathering place for families, it’s a gathering place for evening ice cream, it’s a gathering place for morning doughnuts. It’s a gathering place to bring your grandchildren and buy candy, they each get a dollar and they can pick out some candy.”

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Dykert said most of her staff members are returning from last season, adding she couldn’t do it without them. Along with some modern updates and new products, customers can expect lots of enthusiasm from the team, she said.

“The community is excited,” she said. “They’re at the doors, at the windows wanting to get in, excited to see it, excited to see the changes, excited to see that it looks like the old General Store.”

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