Up North Blog

The leaves are changing here in Northern Michigan, and the air is getting cooler. I have just arrived in Northern Michigan, and this is my first full winter.

Marissa has been at the Republic for two and a half years. Since she has been with us she has taken it upon herself to make every guest’s experience fantastic so that they all get a great taste of Northern Michigan. Marissa has a very important job as the Assistant Manager of the entire store. She also has to make sure that the people that work under her are happy so they can function to the best of their abilities. When I go into the Cherry Republic store in Traverse City all of the Ambassadors are happy to be there and very much happy to help. Marissa said, “You know that in retail you’ll have some bad days but you have to go in with positive thoughts and a list of things to do.” This resonates with me because I also work retail on the side. I know that there are days that are hard and you just have to make sure that everyone is having a great experience because it is important to be a part of something bigger than yourself. At least that is how I get through it.

I ask all of the people I interviewed what their favorite product is. Marissa is the first of the series to have a definitive answer. She said it is the Cherry Pancake Mix. Marissa likes a cinnamon sprinkle on her pancakes. Marissa has been such a loyal member of the Republic and has made sure that she has brought her best to the workplace from day one. That is why I had the honor of Interviewing her.

Today we have the Head Chef at the Public House, Chris Henry. Chris has been a member of the Republic for almost 9 years. He has been in the culinary industry since 1983. Chris said “I continue here because I love to be challenged and I love the daily sense of accomplishment.” Chris has worked his way up, splitting his time at Cherry Republic between Glen Arbor and Traverse City until 2018 when he was put in charge of the Public House remodel project. If you haven’t been to the Public House in Glen Arbor recently, I highly recommend you go. Chris and his team have done a fantastic job at making you feel like you’re in a rustic cabin. It brings our guests a perfect feel of “you are home in northern Michigan” all year round. When Chris took on the task he thought “We want everyone to experience food and life in the Republic.”

Chris has worked for years making the Public House what it is today. He has made a menu that satisfies virtually any palette, a kitchen that takes the strengths of the cooks and leaves the customers excited and satisfied. His menu is complimented by the amazing staff he has helped to build. The season can ebb and flow here in the Republic, but Chris has always been able to find some great local talent to make the customer experience wonderful. Chris knows that working at a restaurant can sometimes be a challenge, no matter what you prepare for. That drove him to find an excellent staff.

Chef Chris is a great addition to the team. He is a level headed individual with a clear set of goals. We sat together at the Halloween Potluck and talked about football and our favorite Cherry Republic products, the two most important things in life. He said his top three favorites were Ice Cream Hibernation Jumpstart, Cherry Buffalo Wing Sauce, and the Cherry Spice Rub. For great recommendations I couldn't think of one better than that. I asked what it meant to be a part of the Cherry Republic team and he said “I love the challenge of growing a company.” Cherry Republic is forever growing. I remember when I was a kid growing up in Florida I would talk to my friends and tell them about this place. To me, even as a kid, it was so magical. We’d come here every summer and then after doing the Dune Climb, we would head to the sanctuary in Glen Arbor that is the Cherry Republic. Now, I am lucky enough to live here. I know that Cherry Republic is part of the fabric of northern Michigan.

Audra said, “Working at Cherry Republic we have the liberty to give good service and not always having to say no to people.” This is exactly what Cherry Republic is all about. You go forth and attack each day with great enthusiasm and, in the most simple terms, joy. Cherry Republic values people like Audra because she is a natural leader. She finds a way to make the customer seen and heard. Having people like this is one of the reasons that the Cherry Republic has been able to not only grow, but to grow and thrive. Audra has just celebrated her second anniversary of being with the Republic and we are very lucky to have her.

The Captain, Audra Ross says, “Cherry Republic is known across the country and still has a niche feeling. It feels like a secret but it's still well known.” The service center gets calls from people from all around the country. Audra and Cherry Republic share the experience of Northern Michigan and she represents our values very well. People like Audra can make the best of any situation and make sure that the person on the other end of the phone is smiling by the end of the phone call. I asked Audra about the most frequent calls she gets and she said she can get everything from a repurchase of a gift to asking what the expiration date is on one of our items. After two years of Audra working with Cherry Republic I inquired about what helped her get through the long days and she responded with “My team.” Audra went on to talk about how she really loves everyone that she works with and it’s a tight knit group that communicates well. She adds “I don’t want to let them down and they don’t want to let me down. I want people to have flexibility and let them know we are here to help them. It’s refreshing to be here.”

I asked Audra what her Mount Rushmore of Cherry Republic products is and she said that her top four are Iced Imperial Pretzels, Cherry Sour Balls, Artisan Mustard, and Harvest Booms. These are all great choices. We are so lucky to have an Ambassador like Audra Ross to work with the Republic because she can bring people together and really make a group of people focused on a common goal. Through her good will, she can bring the charm and beauty that is northern Michigan to callers from all over the United States.

The holiday season is here! In my family the holidays are about everyone coming together and eating hearty feasts that would put the table seen in a  Medieval castle to shame. My dad is the best cook I know and he would spend hours preparing everything. My favorite? A few years ago he began smoking or Thanksgiving turkey in  the Weber smoker. It is wonderfully smokey and wonderfully great. It has a great flavor but is still juicy because he brines it the night before. 

Food. I have so many great memories of food on Thanksgiving. It makes my stomach rumble just thinking about them. My mom would make this amazing salad. It features goat cheese, dried cherries, and Cherry Republic’s Great Hall Vinaigrette. It was subtly sweet and super enticing. I would fill up on the salad course sometimes. Another dish that was a regular at my house was cherry pie using Mamma Mary’s Cherry Crisp Bundle. The way the ingredients combined to make the best pie a person.. As my dad would smoke the turkey he would make a cherry sausage stuffing that is to-die-for. He would buy the Cherry Summer Sausage, smoked to perfection  then cubed by my father and inserted into the blend for stuffing. Lastly, as everyone would arrive my mom would put out The Full Board Charcuterie Gift Box. It is full of items that will will keep everyone satisfied until the meal starts I have listed all the recipes below.

Family. My family has hosted Thanksgiving my entire life.  We have had anywhere from 10 to 28 people, including grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. My parents have always included friends that had no family to celebrate with.  Everyone brings a dish. We have the traditional turkey dinner with all the “fixins”, turkey, cranberry, potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls, and several types of pie, a carb lover's dream.  But, Thanksgiving isn't about the food, I enjoy seeing everyone and having conversations about all sorts of things.  I get to hear different family stories about my parents and grandparents. Growing up in south Florida I saw many families who did not have large extended families to celebrate the holidays.  I was really fortunate, we all had each other for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There was one person specifically that started coming over on Thanksgiving and he is just a great person. He was my father’s former student, Michael. He went on to get a job at the University of Southern California making videos for the School of Arts and Sciences. He was one of many wonderful people who would be seated with us at this festive occasion. 

Football. I have been a Michigan Wolverines football fan for my whole life, even though I was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  The first song I  ever heard is “Hail to the Victors’”, the Michigan fight song. My dad, a Michigan grad, played it in the car on my way home from the hospital days after I was born.  That said, for most of my life Michigan football has been, well, very average. Until recently. There would always be suspense about the game with Ohio State, which is always played on Thanksgiving weekend.  I distinctly remember years where Michigan was so bad my dad, the biggest U of M fan there is, could not watch the game. As a child I didn't understand, but now I don’t blame him. Your Alma Mater, the name you wear across your chest with pride is not performing well. It can be embarrassing receiving scrutiny from your friends. Worse yet, because my dad is a teacher, he would have to hear about it from his high school students! Needless to say, we LOVE watching the Wolverines now.  

The holidays are such a great time for families and friends to come together and be with people who you love. You can bring people together with great food, football, and family members. Thanksgiving is the perfect transition between fall and winter. Stay up to date with my posts about all things cherry and Northern Michigan.  

Recipes: 

The salad: 

• 3 heads artisan lettuce 
• 1/4 c dried cherries, chopped 
• 1/4 c toasted sunflower seeds 
• 1/2 c goat cheese, crumbled 
• Topped with vinaigrette

The Stuffing:  

• ½ cup butter (1 stick) 
• 6 celery stalks, finely diced 
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted (10 cups)
• 1 cup dried cherries 
• ¾ pound cherry sausage—casings removed, cooked, and crumbled 
• ¾ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 14 ½-ounce cans chicken broth 

*Written by Jack, Cherry Republic's marketing intern

The leaves are changing here in Northern Michigan, and the air is getting cooler. I have just arrived in Northern Michigan, and this is my first full winter. I think there are three essentials when braving a bitter Michigan winter. The essentials are a warm waterproof coat, Cherry Republic True Cherry Coffee, and comfortable hiking shoes. The scenery is so beautiful, but the weather can be unpredictable, according to the people who have lived here longer than I have.

Nothing is better than waking up on a beautiful fall day and having a good cup of coffee. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Standing at a window appreciating the fall colors is one of my favorite things, and adding a cup of sweet True Cherry Coffee makes you feel warm and toasty. It gives you a kick to get you through the day without making you jittery. That is the worst feeling when you get the focus from the coffee, and then your mind quiets, but your body is shaky. Anyway, I feel that there’s no better coffee in the world. I have been to Italy and France and enjoy this locally roasted coffee much better. There is nothing like looking at the fall colors and being in the beautiful state of Michigan.

To prepare for the day, I recommend taking a nice insulated raincoat. The weather in Michigan is almost as unpredictable as Florida’s. In Florida, there is one minute of sunshine, then 20 inches of rain over 5 minutes, then sunny for the rest of the day. A cozy coat will keep you warm, and more importantly, it will keep you dry. When you go out to experience the beautiful fall colors, then make sure to dress warm. Nothing is worse than when you are out enjoying the day and can’t shake the cold. Wear a base layer, and you will be fine. It’s not too cold to the point where one might as well stay inside, but it can be chilly if the breeze hits you correctly.  

One thing about Florida that most people do not realize is that it is not a tropical paradise like the media depicts. Florida is hot and humid all year. There have been Christmas’s when the air temperature has been 70 with 90 percent humidity. There is always humidity. It doesn’t matter what part of the year it is. Can you tell that I do not miss the Sunshine State at all? I am so excited for my first proper winter. One thing the locals have told me is that I need to find a hobby. I love hiking, going to the trails, getting lost in the woods, and finding my way. It clears my head. After you’ve had your cup of blissful cherry coffee, I suggest heading out on a hike. One of my favorite hikes is the Dune Climb. It is around two miles, and you start at the base of the dunes, and the trail goes to Lake Michigan. The terrain is beautiful. Good hiking shoes are mandatory because I usually walk the whole way barefoot, and you do NOT want sand in your shoes. That will ruin the hike. You will stop more often than intended because you must clean the sand. I suggest some high tops with pants that go down over the top of them because that will be the best way to keep you on the trail for as long as possible.

As a Floridian, I will keep you in the loop on my essentials for staying warm and braving the elements. It can be scary taking on a new place, especially one where you don’t know anyone. When you come to Northern Michigan, stop at Cherry Republic. I would be happy to meet you!

This delicious dinner will please everyone! Try this recipe of crispy chicken wings using our new product, Cherry Buffalo Wing Sauce. Avoid the mess and hassle of frying, and try our baked recipe. This recipe will result in delicious, crispy wings. Because this recipe calls for cornstarch instead of flour, these wings are also naturally gluten-free which is an added perk!

Through activism, allyship and love, Cherry Republic proudly commemorates Pride. As a company, we understand the impacts we can have, and take responsibility in supporting our customers. This weekend, June 24th and 25th, 5% of profits will be donated towards various organizations. The organizations differ depending on the store location in Michigan.

Traverse City, Glen Arbor (Retail and Pub) and Charlevoix Locations:

Up North Pride's MISSION: Our mission is to foster inclusive spaces by providing education and resources, inspiring activism and advocacy, and producing community-focused 2SLGBTQIA+ programs and events

Up North Pride's VISION: We envision a community where 2SLGBTQIA+ members are visible, celebrated, and supported in all aspects of life.

Ann Arbor and Frankenmuth Locations

Ruth Ellis Center's mission: It is our mission, to create opportunities with LGBTQ+ young people to build their vision for a positive future.

Ruth Ellis Center's vision: Our vision is a world where LGBTQ+ young people are safe and supported no matter where they go.

Holland Location

OOTL's mission: Our mission is to provide a constant source of support and understanding to the LGBTQ community of the greater Holland area. We seek to create a community in which all persons are afforded equal rights and opportunities.

OOTL's vision: Our Vision is a community that welcomes all people. It is our desire that all forms of discrimination are removed in order to create a safe, open, and accepting environment for the LGBTQ community. We strive to provide the education, events and resources necessary to foster understanding, and to advocate within Holland for a community that accepts and embraces all.

Cherry Republic is proud to help support these powerful organizations this weekend. We understand that there is much more work to be done, however we hope that our efforts this weekend will raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ community.

With June comes high school and college graduations, and at Cherry Republic it's a time to celebrate the young men and women who have come to mean so much to us over the years. Many of our Cherry Ambassadors and Cherry Factory employees work for us part time all through high school with many taking advantage of our Cherry Republic College Match Program (see details below) to help cover tuition costs. This year we are proud to recognize the accomplishments of 25 bright-eyed, hard-working, and ambitious students representing each of our six retail locations, as well as our Cherry Factory in Empire. We have no doubt they will all go on to do great things in the world! Congratulations and best of luck to:

ANN ARBOR

• Ray Neiburger:  Ray is planning to go to Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia this fall to major in animation.
• Salsabeel Hodge: Salsabeel is a graduate of Skyline High School.
• Olivia Ziemelis: Olivia graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor's Degree in English Linguistics and Anthropology. Olivia completed a thesis titled "An Analysis of Unusual Case Assignment in Pronouns" and has presented her research at multiple undergraduate conferences. She will be attending Eastern Michigan University in the fall pursuing graduate studies in Linguistics.
• Ethan Wright: Ethan is a graduate of Michigan State University.
• Angie Vita: Angie (she/her) is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan. She earned a Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a minor in Gender and Health. Angie is pursuing a PharmD degree in the fall at the University of Michigan. One of her favorite places she recommends to her friends in Ann Arbor is Cherry Republic, so she is enthused to be working there this summer!

CHARLEVOIX

• Nicklas Shrift: Nicklas is a graduate of Charlevoix High School.

EMPIRE

• Namith Shetty: Namith is graduating from the University of Texas.
• Parth Parmar: Parth is graduating from the University of Buffalo.

GLEN ARBOR

• Sophia Balaya: Sophia will be attending the University Liggett and is a recent graduate of Grosse Pointe High School.
• Kennedy Jackson: Kennedy is celebrating her graduation from Hickman High School in Columbia, MO.
• Andrew Sherman: Andrew is celebrating his graudation from Bloomfield Hills High School.
• Luke Hazelton: Luke Hazelton is a graduate of Glen Lake High School.
• Sean Galla: Sean is a graduate of Glen Lake High School.
• Quinn Gilroy: Quinn is graduating from the University of Dayton.
• Fitz Seymour: Fitz is graduating from Glen Lake High School.
• Tucker Brown: Tucker is graduating from Glen Lake High School.

HOLLAND

• Tirzah Dine: Tirzah is a graduate of Holland Christian High School.
• Maddy Eppard: Maddy studied Special Education Learning Disabilities and Emotional Impairments at Hope College.
• Austin Castillo: Austin graduates from Hope College and studied Classical Studies.
• Rachel Van Dommelen: Rachel is a graduate of Anderson University and studyied Dance Pedagogy and Writing.
• Alexa Watkin: Alexa is a graduate of Hope College and studied History.
• Joe Flowers: Joe is a member of the IT Department in Glen Arbor and recently graduated from Northwestern Michigan College and received his A.A.S in CIT - Infrastructure and Security.

TRAVERSE CITY

• Lauren Bavikatty: Lauren is a graduate of Traverse City Cental High School.
• Paige LaMott: Paige is a graduate of Traverse City Central High School.
• Andrew Choate: Andrew is a graduate of Traverse City Central High School.

Cherry Republic College Match Program

Open to all employees who meet certain requirements and are enrolled in a Michigan Education Savings Plan, Cherry Republic's College Match Program starts with a dollar-for-dollar match in the student’s first year of employment ($1 for each hour worked) and then gradually increases its match by $.50 each year. By the fifth year, Cherry Republic contributes $3 for every $1 the student puts in his or her account. For more information on openings at Cherry Republic, visit CherryRepublic.com/employment.

April 27, 2023--My family hosted a Celebration of Life service this past Sunday at the Leland Lodge for Steph’s father, Jon Graber, who passed away recently from cancer. The Lodge is surrounded by a lake and golf course, two of Jon’s favorite things, which seemed the loving theme of many of the stories shared.  
 
As the service was finishing up with a few of Jon’s retired friends helping us all capture the depth of this good man, Colebrook unexpectedly took the microphone, and in a dozen short sentences gave us a few more realizations about this good man and his influence on others. The power of a grandchild carrying Jon’s essence forward is such a salve for loss and everyone's tears turned to smiles.
 
I haven’t slept well since Jon’s loss. I get tossed by little post-Jon worries and to-do lists. But I have learned to get up for a minute and walk around my house and feel the peacefulness. A few of these nights, if the weather isn’t so frigid, I step outside and reconnect with Jon, to a moment I had with him at the end, where he shared how fully at peace he was with the inevitable. The moon shadow over a perfectly calm lake reminds me that if Jon can leave his worries and to-do lists for eternity, I can do it for one restful night.

April 20,2023--The weather is back this week to normal April and the only one that is really happy with this wet, gusty cold is Sonny.  To a degree, Colebrook and Hawthorn, love taking advantage of the bad weather canceling tennis and track events to go deep into the Shutz woods to build mountain bike trails.  And not a half hour here and there, but half days and full days of immersion in the budding woods.  All that time hanging out in nature with their downhill buddies creates a contentedness in them that makes me as a parent happier to see than any grade they could bring home.

Last night, I drove back from giving a talk in Ann Arbor and checked in with Steph.  Sonny was itchy for a walk.  It was close to twilight and calm and moist from a recent cool drizzle.   I needed a walk myself after 5 hours of car time, so I trekked by the trail-digging crew and Sonny and I watched four boys raking and shoveling fresh soil into a smooth banked turn under a big hemlock tree.  Sonny rolled in the freshly exposed soil as if it was a gift.  We left them and walked up to a view through the leafless hardwoods of the Bohemian valley opening up to Good Harbor Bay.  Then we walked a different route down to the old Bohemian cemetery full of the characters of my childhood—Old Joe Novotney, Bessie, Swampy Kraitz.  These tombstones carried some of the most rooted names in Leelanau.  The graveyard was only 1/3 full, and I wondered what 21^st-century residents could ever be buried here and fit in? 

Sonny was pulling me across the road to where two of the Gardiner’s horses were huffing and dashing around trying their best to get our attention. I brought Sonny over to meet these two beautiful specimens with their thick winter coats wet and glistening in the last light of the day.    A little courtship began, with Sonny dashing up and down the fence line, while the powerful horses spun, swayed, and galloped.   Then, Sonny, the little pony of a dog, and these two powerful hoofed beasts settled and put their noses toward each other.  I petted the big white horse and Sonny stuck his nose into the fence and the horse and dog were face to face.  A peacefulness settled down around us as if there was a contented fairy sprinkled spell in the mist. 

April 14, 2023--This was as Michigan-y a stretch of weather contrasts as I can remember. On Friday night, I spent the night sleeping outside under the stars at a friend's property adjacent to the park. My brother was with me, and we talked the night away and headed to sleep just as the moon began to rise over the dark wind-blown shapes of white pines. As I prepped my bedroll, I was shivering, so I slept in everything I was wearing even though I was in a heavy sleeping bag with a big thick wool blanket overtop. We both woke to a light snow that kept falling til a thick inch of white was covering our bedroll when the sun rose. That next night, Hawthorn invited friends over and the peace and solitude of my previous night was contrasted by a horror movie and screaming teenagers. I sat out on the patio in the darkness for a bit of a respite. The first peepers of the year croaked out from the mud and reeds to give me a needed dose of nature. I could feel a spring warmth in the air, so different from the night before. The warmth has continued. My hikes with Sonny have shortened as this week has turned unseasonably warm. On Monday, we leisurely walked the edge of old fields and admired the beauty of old fence lines running between woodland and farmland. Sonny laid in a few remaining snow drifts hiding from the sun's hot rays. On Tuesday’s hike, he ate the wet sloppy bits of snow knowing it would be the last he would see for a long time. Our Swiss Mountain dog is ready to hibernate into the air conditioning much earlier this year if this heat keeps up. But of course, it’s Michigan, so Sonny needn’t worry too much.