Doing business in a rural community often requires being a jack of all trades. That’s very true for Sidnaw Station, part convenience stores, part gas station, part restaurant and part bar. Located in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, the store truly comes alive in the harsh months of winter.
“We have a pretty steady flow of tourists and vacationers year-round, but winter is our peak season,” Amber Richardson, a North Dakota native who has lived in Michigan for 35 years, told CSP. “First, deer hunting season starts in November, and then snowmobile season starts up on Dec. 1. January and February are basically a blur around here because we’re so busy.”
With the modest-sized store located on an arterial snowmobile trail, the pump outside fuels more snow machines and ATVs than cars.
“Most all our fueling customers fuel up for recreational purposes and are not typical sedan or SUV drivers.”
This makes a Sidnaw Station, the former home of a snowmobile dealership, a must-stop location for “sled” owners passing through the nearby woods. “Snowmobilers fuel up with 91 octane: there’s pretty much a long, long line of sleds that sit in a queue and wait for gas, and come inside the store as they wait,” said Richardson.
Inside, the proprietor stocks a wide variety of clothing items and automotive accessories, along with necessities for riding lawn mowers, snow blowers, snowmobiles, jet skis—even small aircraft.
“Most all our fueling customers fuel up for recreational purposes and are not typical sedan or SUV drivers. We also sell a lot of meat snack and to-go beer and wine.”
Richardson and her husband Matt also keep a lot of the passersby fed a menu of homemade favorites.
“We’re known for our pizzas, homemade soups and chili,” Richardson said. “Pizza is made from scratch—and it made the local news for its quality. We had been selling 20 to 30 pizzas a day, but after the story appeared we doubled that count, and we found people came from far and wide for it.”