Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick & Anita Shaffer.
Hi Patrick & Anita, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Anita and I moved to Manistee from the Ann Arbor area in July 2020. We both had our own businesses in Ann Arbor. I was a house painter and she was a Massage Therapist. We moved to Manistee with hopes of continuing those trades, but to slow down a bit. One day while walking the dogs through downtown we saw a For Rent sign at 308 River Street. We began to talk about the possibilities of opening a store. I had sold Mid-Century Modern furniture and decor on the side for over a decade and we both had a host of friends who were artists in the Ann Arbor area. So we called the Chamber of Commerce to see what we needed to do to open a business in town. This was early September 2020. Little did we know we’d be open by November 23, 2020. The store at 308 River was barely 600 square feet. We had Vintage furniture, Art and a small amount of Fair Trade. We were there for a little over a year when we had the chance to move to our present location of 354 River in February 2022. The new location is bigger, prettier and in a more prime location on River Street. It has allowed us to expand and thrive. We have experienced growth every year since we opened. As Manistee has flourished, so have we. We are about to celebrate our 5 Year Anniversary next Month.
Every Summer when visitors came to town I’d have the occasional question asked of me…”Where’s the Toy Store?” I’d have to tell people to either go to Meijer or Dollar General. At the end of the 2023 Summer Season Anita and I talked about opening a toy store. It had been a dream of mine since childhood to own a hobby store…a toy store would be like a dream come true. Anita also wanted to retire from Massage Therapy and we would need a second income. So we made the same calls we did when we wanted to open Port City Emporium. On the day after Thanksgiving 2023 we announced to the Public we’d be opening Riverside Toys in February 2024. We had decorated Port City Emporium’s Christmas Display window with our Announcement…TOYS! In January 2024 I spent the month painting and getting the space ready for February 1…The Grand Opening! We had a huge turnout that day. The first few months were a whirlwind! Then in June we learned a new space would be opening in a bigger and better location. We had to make a huge decision to do it all again the following January and February if we wanted to move to the new spot. We jumped at it. Then in February 2025 we had our Grand Re-Opening at 389 River. Three times the space, a beautiful Victorian feel with a tin ceiling and a prime spot virtually right next to the Vogue Theater. Since then we had a great Summer and are now readying for the upcoming Christmas Season.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Even though we’ve had decent luck with our businesses it hasn’t been totally smooth. We are like a Duck, smooth looking on top while our feet are paddling away furiously. We’ve always said if people come to Manistee on vacation we’ll be fine. Recent Tariffs have proven to be the largest hurdle we’ve experienced.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Riverside Toys is a Classic Styled toy store. Offering toys and games for all ages. We have toys for kids to play with throughout the store. We have slot car racing in the back of the store. We also offer Family Game Day on Saturdays where Families can try out any of our 110+ board & card games. We take great pride in the appearance of the store. I want it to be a space befitting of a Toy Store. The reactions of children as they come in fill my Heart with Joy! The amount of times I hear “Wow!” never gets old. It’s a fun space to be in…a Dream come true!
Port City Emporium is a mix of locally hand crafted items, Michigan Art, Fair Trade and Small Batch goods like candles, soaps and jewelry. We carry between 30-40 Michigan Artists and Artisans at any one time. As the Seasons change so do many of our offerings. We always have an array of paintings, Framed Fine Art Prints and photography decorating our walls. We partner with over a dozen or so Fair Trades to bring in wonderful crafts, Art and Home Decor. Many of our Small Business partners are Women Owned companies as well.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Manistee has been experiencing quite the renaissance the last handful of years. Tourism is fueling it’s progress. In the 5 years we’ve been open at Port City Emporium I’ve met ever increasing numbers of visitors from the Deep South and West who had never visited Michigan before. They LOVE our Climate! If everything goes the way it had been there’s no reason not to expect it to keep going. There’s a reconstruction of the River Street cityscape and River Walk planned to happen in the next few years, as well as a total reconstruction of the M-31 corridor going through Manistee in 2027. These infrastructure projects plus the Spirit of the Woods Project at the entrance to Downtown will surely help to make Manistee a wonderful place to visit for the coming years.
Contact Info:
- Website: riversidetoys.com & portcityemporiummanistee.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/riversidetoysmanistee & facebook.com/pcemanistee
