An abandoned and contaminated gas station in Hillman has been given a new life through sourdough and croissants. After two years of working to revitalize the plot of land near the downtown area, business owner Jamie MacArthur opened the doors to her new business, Black Squirrel Bakery.
She says the goal of the bakery is to give back to the community.
“Our primary goal was really economic development in Hillman,” MacArthur said. “I did a little research and found that bakeries are the kind of business that often work in a very small town. So I thought, ‘well, I guess I could build a bakery on this site’ because I had to build something.”
MacArthur was able to get assistance through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's (EGLE) Brownfield Redevelopment Grants, which aims to build up abandoned property sites.
She said that the grant has given her the chance to help her community.
“It was a dream of mine to put something beautiful in Hillman and to make this town look as beautiful as I think it is,” MacArthur said.
The Black Squirrel Bakery serves a number of baked goods, such as:
- Sourdough Breads
- Yeast Breads
- Cupcakes
- Cookies
MacArthur said that since the bakery's opening day, it has sold out of everything before their closing time of noon.
“I mean, we've sold out every day by about 10 a.m.,” she said. “It's going really well. I mean beyond my wildest dreams.”
One of the best parts of opening her business she said was the support she has received.
“The community has been so supportive, and customers have been so supportive,” she said. “It's very rewarding.”
The Black Squirrel Bakery is open from 8 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Sunday. It's located at 300 State Street, Hillman, MI.
This story was produced by the Michigan News Group Internship Program, a collaboration between WCMU Public Media and local newspapers in central and northern Michigan. The program’s mission is to train the next generation of journalists and combat the rise of rural news deserts.
