Comment on Dollar Store targets Empire by Sarah L.

A Dollar General would be the end of life as we have known it in Leelanau County. The ever-increasing number of visitors to the area is causing growing pains and has already changed how locals live and interact during tourist season. BUT, love them or hate them, out-of-towners come here to GET AWAY from the Dollar General-type stores and the Taco Bell/7-11/Kroger—-all of that is still available up the road in TC. To bring “big city” commercialization to Empire (or GA or Northport…) will not add to the experience that people are spending big dollars and long hours in Friday and Sunday traffic jams to enjoy. If the locals don’t want a Dollar General, it is safe to assume that the visitors to our “quaint little towns” won’t want one either.
Instead, consider a co-op grocery as a replacement for Deerings. Not a perfect substitute, but it could stock local and Michigan-wide produce, packaged foods, and meats, etc., which would meet local grocery needs and draw in tourist dollars. If community members have an ownership stake in the business, there’s an incentive to see it succeed. If we need a grocery store, get together and open one…..if we don’t want cheap junk sold out of a warehouse in our town, get tough and make sure that doesn’t happen! If this sounds too “pie in the sky” or Pollyanna….just picture that yellow and black Dollar General sign welcoming us all to Empire.