At the end of the day, our community is about improving this place for both our residents and our visitors.”
Kelly Larson – Fortino’s
“Fortino’s started as a grocery store in 1907 and moved to this building in 1923. Three generations of Fortinos owned it, and I bought it almost eight years ago. I’ve known the former owners forever and my sister used to work here.
I own four other ice cream stores in town already, so when I saw the owners were selling, I initially said, ‘I don’t need to buy myself another job.’ But then, I’ll never forget, it was the day before we were going on a family vacation to Yellowstone, three people told me I had to buy Fortino’s—all on the same day.
I took it as a sign, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I felt it had to stay here—it’s iconic!
The first thing you notice when you walk inside Fortino’s is the delicious smell: the smell of the peanuts, cashews, red-skin peanuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts that we roast right here in the store.
In addition to freshly roasted nuts, Fortino’s has a little bit of everything. Over time, the focus has shifted from groceries to specialty foods, beer, wine, and liquor, and it continues to change. Today, it’s similar to a general store.
Food is such a fun business and I love everything about Grand Haven. When you live here in the summer, every day feels like you’re on vacation. Walking on the beach, watching the sunset, and seeing so many people enjoy your town—there isn’t anything better.
I love our community. We have a lot of hard workers here. Our former city manager showed us that the more we do together, the better Grand Haven becomes.
At the end of the day, our community is about improving this place for both our residents and our visitors.”
