I love the downtown. It’s just such a fun, welcoming, easy place to be, in my opinion. I think the people are so helpful and friendly, and I just kind of am a beach girl by nature. So it just made sense. It feels a little bit more like home.

— Jodi Timmerman, Lark

“Okay, so—this is the craziest story. I was Christmas shopping for my sister in December at Lark in the old location. Susie Woodward owned it for five years prior to me buying it, and I was just there shopping, and it appeared the store was going to be closing.

Having just retired from my corporate world and not really having anything to do—and having wanted to have something of my own for a really long time—I just asked, “Is the store closing?” And she said, “Yep, the owner is retiring at the end of March.”

So I went home and did a Google search and sent a random email to a random person I didn’t know. I said, “Can I buy your business? If it’s closing, can I buy it?” And she replied! Susie replied within a day, and within a month I owned it. But because her original plan was to close the business, she had let her lease go and we had to move it down here. I literally put everything in a cart and pushed it down the sidewalk.”

“Her whole entire staff came with me, which was a huge value. They’re so great, and I love every single one of them. They add so much to the business and have taught me so much.

The history, the client base—everything. And Susie is still helping us and working with us to get started. So it’s been a great transition. She was able to save our proprietary brands. Otherwise, they were gonna try and find somebody else, and I wouldn’t have been able to have them. So yeah, it was simply a “God thing”. It all fell right into place and was everything it needed to be..

I’ve always loved Grand Haven. I’ve loved living in the area, working here. I love the downtown. It’s just such a fun, welcoming, easy place to be, in my opinion. I think the people are so helpful and friendly, and I just kind of am a beach girl by nature. So it just made sense. It feels a little bit more like home.

I love being in a downtown where I can just walk and get coffee and hang out, and I know other store owners now. Before I didn’t, but now I do. The reception for me coming in has been so welcoming and wonderful—even from other store owners—helping me as we were moving in, giving me advice, telling me, “Okay, this is who you need to talk to,” and that type of thing.

Grand Haven has such a good vibe. It’s just welcoming and friendly.

I’m just thankful to be here.”