Today we’d like to introduce you to Staci Gibson.
Hi Staci, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wow, I can try to be brief. Moved to the Keweenaw in 2001 and knew I had found home. Settled in Copper Harbor in 2006 following a lengthy battle to find housing in this remote and rural area. I pet sat, house sat, cleaned houses, landscaped, bar tended, worked full time and saved all my pennies to open a miniature golf course on the property of my home in 2011. We refer to it as “The Mini Golf Course made for Adults that Even the Kids Will Love”. While family friendly, it has a BYOB after 3:00 option that has garnered some appeal and features extensive gardens, ducks and a great deal of character. It was voted the #1 Miniature Golf Course in Michigan by Golf.com Magazine in 2024, which was exciting. It has become a fun and welcome addition to the outdoor arena that is Copper Harbor and acted as an entrepreneurial springboard for things to come.
But I do not think that is the biz you want to talk about although it is an important part of my story.
In conjunction I worked FT at The Gas Lite General Store for 14 years. The owners were approaching retirement and they offered me the right of first refusal to buy the store. In February 2019, I became the 4th owner since 1964. During my 14 years employed I listened to what people were asking for and poured through trade mags regarding trends and the direction of small independent convenience/grocery stores around the country. In order to remain desirable in a climate that leans heavily into the big box corporate shopping structure, we had to get creative not only to survive but to thrive. I kept a notebook of product ideas, physical changes and updates and how to reinvent the store to become an even better, more updated version of itself. I hit the ground running and poured all of the love in my heart into this space…that now owned me!
We re-branded by capitalizing on the nickname The Genny (short for general store) that had been coined by some of the seasonal workers one summer. We will always be The Gas Lite General Store but The Genny name is born from endearment and emphasizes the evolution of The Gas Lite General Store 2.0. The Genny is the hub of the community and a very important asset for all of us. The closest big box grocer is nearly 40 miles away. We may not carry 18 brands of any single item but by golly will will have at least one of most things an adventurous cook would need.
One of the goals we have is to support small independent businesses just like us and move away from the national brands and mass produced products of inferior quality. We have our feet in both worlds to some extent but the options have been fun to offer. People are producing some amazing things out there with mindful intention. We look to source things that can replace mainstream items with a quality counterpart that can truly make a difference for a small business out there. And their products help us remain eclectic and unique. We need to stick together. Now more than ever.
Another goal is to do what we can to reduce plastic. It is a tough one in the grocery industry and given our size bulk offerings are not practical but we do what we can where we can. We have expanded our selection of “reduce, reuse, recycle” products and try to minimize repetitive packaging when able.
We collaborate with local business and currently are able to offer locally grown produce from Soil and Soul Organic Farm. We have a pay to play kiosk cooler on our front porch that is stocked daily with seasonal fruits and veggies. It is independent from the Genny and this helps to promote and help build awareness of what the folks at Soil and Soul are doing and allows us the ability to offer fresh organic veggies. We also provide fresh produce in the store that although it is not organic, it is priced accordingly and is an option for folks who have a tighter budget.
We are very civically oriented and are always open to helping out local organizations. It is tough out there and we all need to work together to navigate the challenges and needs that are ever present. We are so grateful for our community and we feel it is important to always honor that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first year was a dream. Full employee retention, everyone knew what to do. I had some personal freedom for the first time in 10 years, I was happy, the community was happy, the store was evolving. It was great….Then COVID. And everything changed.
I hope to never, ever experience the amount of ugly that we endured on a minute by minute basis. All because wearing a mask was too much to ask. I will never understand it. It did however create a BIG shift in our identity much sooner than anticipated. Where we were a more of a convenience store prior, COVID caused us to pivot and move aggressively to become the grocery store that we are today. In our efforts to make it easier for folks to stay home we broadened our offerings significantly. As the COVID crisis waned we continued to operate at the level we had established and the response to that has been favorable.
Seasonally the Summer through Fall are jamming with tourists!!! Winter however, not so much. We rely heavily on our locals to get us through that period and are endlessly grateful for their patronage and friendship. I hope that we can stimulate our Winter season in time but that is a discussion for another day.
Employees! SUPER TOUGH! Not to find but to house. Affordable housing is not even remotely available in this region and not many want to stay in a tent all summer. Housing is a tremendous problem and the workforce has been pushed further and further away to where it is not practical for people to commute. It is tough to offer a wage that can accommodate the travel and not cause an increase in prices as a result. As a business without proprietary housing….it is an endless struggle. We are not alone in that struggle by any means.
We try to accommodate as many people as possible in terms of budget, dietary restrictions, foodies, etc. It can be a challenge being a grocer at the end of the road. We are limited in suppliers that are willing to deliver to such a rural location that is literally at the end of the road. Lake Superior is the next stop. We are a destination not an area you can simply pass through. As such prices can be higher and given our size and location our purchasing power could never match the big box stores although we do our best to offer quality products at the best price we can manage.
We did have an incident we refer to as “Boom-Boom and The Incident”, where a mentally unstable man broke in and smashed collectively 23 cooler and freezer doors, including the front door. Hundreds of pounds of glass and a nauseating amount of food loss. The worst part was the food could not even be donated due to the risk of glass infiltration. A sickeningly sad amount of waste. However, after the stand off and the apprehension of the individual the community, after midnight rallied and showed up with brooms vacuums, gloves, duct tape, buckets and got to work. The glass was cleaned up, the front door secured, the cooler and freezer doors covered and safe from jagged glass. We were able to open by three the next day. For something so traumatic (and it was) all I really remember was the beauty of the community in that moment. How they took the time to help and show their support and make it was so heartwarming. L
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have found that I enjoy bringing people together in a festive atmosphere that often involves food and usually involves cocktails lol. I love throwing parties and have regularly done so over the years, Big ones, Small ones, Garden parties, Halloween parties, Dance parties. Dancing is a big stress reliever for me. I am not good at it but I am enthusiastic! I have not gotten back into the party planning since COVID but hopefully this is the year that sparks that fire once again. They are missed by me and many others. Creating an opportunity to gather as a community and watch people forge new friendships is very rewarding.
I consider myself a creative person although I would not say I am an artist. I am good with color and space management, which has served me well in fitting 10 pounds in a 5 pound box. Which is definitely and apt description of the store and its contents.
My background is in Horticulture and love to garden when the time is available to me. I keep ducks and dogs. I love Winter for the peace and tranquility and the ever changing landscape. I am an adventurous cook and that is reflected greatly in the items we stock at the store.
In addition,I am also active civically and have been involved in various Committees, Associations, Boards and currently as the Grant Township Trustee. I believe giving back to the community is incredibly important.
What were you like growing up?
I was extremely hyper as a kid, some say that hasn’t changed much. I loved bugs and animals of all kinds, that has not changed either. Nature is important to me and I definitely landed in the right place for that. I moved around a lot as a kid. I have been here in Copper Harbor longer than any place I have ever lived. So it is most certainly home.
My Grandmother fostered my love of cooking and I continue to explore different cultural cuisines. I have been blessed for better or worse with a very broad palate. I love food, cooking it, eating it, sharing it, presenting it. And here I am owning a specialty grocery store. Goes to show you never really know where the journey of life will lead you. Growing up I thought I would be a large animal vet or an Olympic ice skater, lol.
I have recently started learning the amazing world of watercolors. I find it is a great medium for me as it forces me to let go and allow the painting to evolve, accept imperfections and turn them into positive attributes. I do not find watercolor very forgiving but it does help with shifting perspective my to really be in the moment. Also to push through. Each time I think there is no salvaging a piece of I keep going it more often than not turns into something worthwhile. A commentary for life in general I suppose.
As a Florida native, I find it ironic that I reside at the other end of US-41, so in a weird way I still feel connected to that part of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.atthegenny.com
- Facebook: @atthegenny
