Driftwood Summer Shop, located in Dowagiac, Mich., celebrated it's reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
DOWAGIAC, Mich., (May 27, 2021) – Driftwood Summer Shop, located in Dowagiac, Mich., celebrated it's reopening with a ribbon cutting ceremony this evening at 5:00 PM. Driftwood Summer Shop is an old fashioned ice cream parlor with a full coffee menu, arcade, clothing, jewelry, beach supplies, and souvenirs.
Previously owned by Steve and Lorie VanAntwerp, Alli and Dan LaFond took ownership of Driftwood Summer Shop in 2019. The couple saw success in their future through expansion after two years in business. This expansion includes the addition of a full craft coffee menu with locally roasted coffee beans supplied by Forte Coffee, new arcade machines, and more.
"Cornerstone Alliance has been tremendous throughout this process," said Dan LaFond, owner of Driftwood Summer Shop. "Rob Cleveland was our initial contact and did a great job explaining how Cornerstone could help us expand our business. Cornerstone has a capable team of professionals who guided us through the microloan process, which was essential to our coffee and arcade expansion. We have spent most of our time with Giovana Tovar, who has been a critical asset in securing the microloan and helping us through the grand reopening planning."
The microloan program is a program of the Renaissance Development Fund at Cornerstone Alliance and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
As Alli and Dan turn the page in Driftwood's long history, they are sincerely grateful for the support received from the Sister Lakes community for the past 73 years. This investment is a direct result of community support.