Bay City’s St. Laurent Brothers candy shop gets new owner
BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) - A Bay City staple is now under new ownership.
Jordan Dice, a local entrepreneur who recently bought Midland Mall, purchased St. Laurent Brothers of Bay City. The new ownership was announced Sunday, Sept. 24.
Dice is the second owner since the St. Laurent family to own the business. Since 1904, the St. Laurent family manufactured Michigan’s finest all natural peanut butter and offered candies, chocolates, confectionaries and nuts.
READ MORE: Historic Bay City business, property for sale
“I remember as a young child my parents and grandparents taking me to the store; it was a favorite of our family. My great-great grandparents had met here for dates in 1919, just a couple years after the store opened in its present location”, said Dice.
St. Laurent Brothers was founded by brothers Alexander and Joseph St. Laurent. They purchased a mail order peanut butter business for $350.80 on December 8, 1904 and operated it out of their father’s grocery store located at the corner of First and Saginaw Streets, until 1917 when they moved the business to its present location at Third and Water Streets.
The business still runs and operates today. Each year, it serves 100,000 people and sells nearly 200,000 pounds of nuts that are roasted or made into peanut butter, according to Dice.
There are plans to add ruby chocolate to the assorted chocolates and confectionaries. Ruby cocoa beans are naturally reddish-pink in color, has a fruity taste and is similar to white chocolate.
Dice is also looking into opening another St. Laurent Brothers store inside the Midland Mall.
“I love how unique the business is in the products it offers. I plan to further that initiative and am excited at the opportunity to open another store in my mall”, said Dice.
Former owner and operators, Steve and Nancy Frye, will remain working with the business to ensure a proper transition to Dice and his staff. Currently, 25 people work for St. Laurent Brothers and Dice has brought in new management.
“Steve and Nancy have been wonderful to work with and I am very appreciative of their help. It is great when the former and current owners work together in transition to preserve the legacy of the business. I am happy to have them available to me and my staff”, said Dice.
Dice is a Bay County native.
Subscribe to the TV5 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every day.
Copyright 2023 WNEM. All rights reserved.
