Another vacancy in Downtown Sturgis: My Freakin Pizza and Sweets set to close

STURGIS, Mich. -- My Freakin Pizza and Sweets will close its doors this Friday, following $10 sale on Pizza on Thursday.

The announcement comes just weeks after three other businesses stopped serving the downtown area, including the local theater.

“We had 3 different businesses downtown here close, another restaurant, clothing store, and then our theatre closed,” Malinda Merrill, owner of My Freakin Pizza and Sweets said. “All within a 2-week span between Christmas and New Year.”

Merrill points to lay-offs at local factories as a driving factor in why less people are choosing to support local businesses in the area, as well as inflation and the high concentration of chain restaurants nearby — that offer prices businesses like hers can’t compete with.

She says the town should be doing more to support local business.

“They do support the small businesses from time to time, you’ll see it here and there,” Merrill said. “But a lot of the time it’s who you know, and it’s really been a struggle.”

But for My Freakin Pizza and Sweets, closing the door isn’t about finances.

“The little one that you see running around, we actually found out that she has a rare genetic disorder,” Merrill said. “She actually has something called SATB2.”

Merrill’s youngest daughter will need to be seen by specialists and treated at medical facilities in Arkansas and Kansas. Between the additional travel costs her family is facing, and the fact that Merrill will be homeschooling the 2-year-old to teach her sign language, there just isn’t a way to keep the shop open.

The closure will be the end of over 40 years of tradition in Sturgis.

When Mike’s Pizza and Sub’s closed here in 2022, Merrill took over. She revisioned the space to include her ice cream and sweets shop, buying the original Mike’s pizza recipe so the community could still enjoy a slice that’s been local since the 1980’s.

“Even though we’re not the original Mike’s, they did give us a chance, and they were really happy.” Merrill said.

Now, she’s hopeful someone will step up the way she did 2 years ago.

“We’re stuck with it for 3 more years if we can’t find anybody, so I would have to find like a third shift job in order to be home with her during the day,” Merrill said. “And then pay for this place even though it’s closed.”

Merrill is still looking for someone to take over the lease or purchase the recipe and existing kitchen equipment.

The last day to enjoy a slice of history at My Freaking Pizza and Sweets is Friday, January 9th.