Kicker - Ice shanty dining

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Necessity is the mother of invention, and coronavirus lockdowns have proven that old adage to be very true. 

The owner of a bed and breakfast in northern Michigan says business suffered when virus restrictions forced him to shut down the dining room.

LEASK: I knew at the end of summer the writing was on the wall and we had to come up with something.

That’s when Graeme Leask got creative. He installed five shanties on the property. Those are little shacks popular with ice fishermen. 

Leask is a Scottish transplant to the snowy lakefront region. He told WPBN…

LEASK: What’s more northern Michigan than ice shanties? So we built them and here we are.

With the help of local artists, he turned them each into a charming private dining room. And they’ve been a big hit with customers, allowing him to bring four people back to work and even hire a new employee!

LEASK: It’s wonderful! I thank everybody for their support and keeping local people working.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

(Photo/WPBN, WGTU)

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