Harbor grad turned search for healthy food into thriving small business here - Harbor Light

Harbor Springs graduate Jib Liska turned a hobby into a beloved small town business, My Sister’s Bake Shop. Liska’s dedication to serving real food– with real heart– has made her a favorite at the farmer’s market, and her tiny shop just off of State Road has become a destination for foodies and town insiders. (Harbor Light photo by Mark Flemming)

Editor’s Note: This is another in an occasional series profiling Harbor Springs High School graduates pursuing unique and interesting paths in life. If you have a suggestion for such a profile, please email us at news@ncpublish.com I f you know, you know. And if you don’t know, then you have missed out on the sweet and savory treats that the true Harbor Springs insiders cherish.

My Sister’s Bake Shop’s motto is “Eat Real Food” and they work hard to offer an ever-changing menu of delicious, healthy food using locally sourced ingredients.

It all started with granola and a farmer’s market.

Jib Liska, Harbor Springs High School 1986 graduate and local owner of My Sister’s Bake Shop, started tinkering in her kitchen at home to create a healthier option to the store-bought bars her kids were devouring. Shortly thereafter, she became a regular, and very popular, fixture at the Farmers Markets. Six years ago, she opened the door to the little shop located at 107 Franklin Street. The shop is located in a corner of the Harbor Springs EZ Mart gas station and convenience store building–the last gas station if you’re headed out of town on State Road. It’s a tiny space. But the food, and the team behind it all, are mighty.

In regard to the business’s name, Liska’s sister is in no way involved but she “just thought it would be fun for you to say you are running to your sister’s for some fresh scones or such.”

The name, My Sister’s Bake Shop, also evokes the feel of the place. It feels like walking into the family kitchen where people remember what you love and can suggest a new favorite to try. And if they haven’t made your favorite that day, they might tomorrow. If you ask nicely.

Liska talked about food, business, and her path to the little shop with an ever growing following. It was a pleasure to catch up. And also, to make my plea for a summer comeback of the egg and sausage pockets. Pretty, pretty please. EM: I love that you say that this business was a hobby “gone awry”. It all started with your amazing granola squares and a couple of farmers markets. Can you expand on how it went from baking granola to the store and catering business you have now? JL: I have always enjoyed sharing my love of food with others. The granola bars started in my kitchen when I realized I was spending a small fortune on packaged bars for my kids. I was also just beginning my journey into understanding more about how processed our food is in this country. In looking at packaged foods, granola bars included, I was continually disappointed at the amount of preservatives. The quest to create a healthier granola bar came as a response to that. Homemade Granola bars get a bad rap because everyone assumes that they are going to taste like tree bark. I knew better. I knew that good ingredients yield good products. And a little sweetness never hurt anybody. I fiddled around, trying different amounts of oats, flour, flax (you can have too much!), and of course, the sweet. My favorite secret ingredient is mini chocolate chips because even a scant amount looks like more – kids love that.

As my kids grew, I returned to teaching as a Title 1 teacher. That job allowed me to pursue selling at Farmers Markets in the summer. I took a prototype to Toski Sands Market just to show them my packaging idea and they liked it so much they asked to sell them. I didn’t have a clue how to make that work, so their buyer gave me a quick lesson in how to cost a wholesale product. Seven years later, we’re still on their counter – I love that.

In order to sell wholesale, and be sold in Farmers Markets, goods must be produced in a commercial kitchen. I started with Bliss Gardens, which is still my happy place, then moved closer to town. Finally, I decided that I needed my own dedicated space. My husband, Jim, and I began looking around. Originally, I had no interest in retail. I just needed a kitchen to produce for wholesale and for the farmer’s markets.

My job at the school came to an end just as business was changing and increasing. So, it allowed for me to spend more hours at the shop and explore retail options.

It was really my husband who chipped away at the retail space and encouraged me to open the front doors.

It is worth mentioning that the old buffet out front was in my basement for 27 years. It belonged to my grandmother and was the only piece of furniture she took with her when she sold her restaurant in Battle Creek many years ago. My grandmother was quite a restaurateur and critic in her day.

EM: From sandwiches to soups, fresh bread, cookies, pies, salads, dips–your bakeshop has become a place people depend on for their staples and treats.What is your vision for the business as you grow?

JL: I love that people understand our mission – Eat Real Food. It is seemingly basic but, with so many added preservatives in so many foods, it can be difficult. I was never a health food nut. But I don’t like the way lettuce tastes when it has been sprayed with a preservative. At My Sister’s Bake Shop, we pride ourselves on chopping all our produce ourselves. We buy local to control the addition of preservatives (food that doesn’t travel far, doesn’t need preservatives). While I love to create, each creation takes time to perfect, implement, label, package, and find its audience. I would like to see My Sister’s Bake Shop reach greater heights but, right now, I am doing all I can. So, the future? Keep on doing what we’re doing; being an outlet for ‘good food’ in northern Michigan.

EM: What have been the biggest lessons in starting this business?

JL: Yikes. There are so many. The biggest would probably be that you can’t please everyone all of the time. I learned this my first year when a customer, and fellow small business owner, tried to extort a better deal for a product, threatening not to buy at all if I didn’t agree. I didn’t agree. I haven’t seen him since. At the time, it broke my heart. As a new business, I wanted everyone to love what we were doing. Now, I know that is not realistic. Saying no is still difficult, but I rarely lose sleep over it anymore. We work very hard to keep our price points reasonable for many, not a few. People continually tell me that I could charge more. I probably could, but I like to sleep at night. I like that teenagers from the high school seek us out, that the mom of a 4th grader comes weekly for soup because her daughter loves it. And those granola bars can be found in many a pocket on the ski hills, golf courses, and tennis courts.

EM: What are your favorite parts of this business?

JL: My favorite part is creating new products and sharing them with our customers. I don’t get to do that as much as I would like because the business part is overwhelming.

EM: Knowing what you know now, what piece of life advice would you give your high school self? And what piece of business advice would you give yourself before starting this venture?

JL: My high school self was kind of a critical, serious pessimist; I definitely like myself more these days. I do wish I hadn’t been such a chicken… when I was younger. But, you can’t go back. So, I try to be assertive now. Business advice? I don’t want to sound cliché, but I couldn’t have done it on my own. I am extremely lucky–great landlord, great staff, great bookkeepers, great family, great customers. Without all that greatness, I would be nothing. We have had missteps along the way, but thanks to all of the above, we’ve weathered it all.

EM: What are the benefits to having a small business in Harbor Springs?

JL: I appreciate those who came before who had the vision to protect what we have and those that continue to do so. We don’t have a McDonald’s on Main Street. As a kid I thought that might be a good idea. I am so thankful for the people who had more vision than I did.

We are so lucky to have a town that is loved by so many in so many ways. I have lived here my entire life and am in awe of the obvious, and not so obvious ways, people show their love and appreciation for what we’ve got.

When I first opened, I had a customer who stood holding my front door open and invited demanded in an inviting way– that everyone she saw pumping gas stop in to see my shop. These poor people would sheepishly come in, you know we’re the size of a minute, and glance around for something to buy, because they knew they weren’t leaving without contributing. I love that.

EM: And the challenges?

JL: It’s a small town. We’re in a rental unit that had been vacant for 6 years. We’re not downtown. We have been open at our location for six years now and STILL people, who frequent the gas station on a regular basis, do not know we are right there. Sigh. Getting supplies is a challenge. We try to support local whenever possible, but winter is rough. In some cases, the cost of buying local drives up the price point too much. Providing good food at decent prices is a dance. We want to feed everyone, not just those who aren’t concerned with counting pennies. I pride myself on reasonable prices. It is still a splurge for some. But more and more it is a splurge they are willing to make because they want to eat healthy, local, and clean. And they know that is what we are all about. I have had people, who are in the discovery mode of clean eating, come back after ‘splurging’ on a seven-dollar sandwich to tell me that not only did it taste good, they felt good after eating it. Best compliment ever.

EM: What do you wish people understood about small business ownership or your business in particular?

JL: I wish people knew just how uneven the playing field is. I certainly didn’t fully understand it and still don’t fully grasp all the nuances of it. We, as a society, are so conditioned to getting what we want when we want it. Big business can provide that immediate gratification. But that also comes with its own cost.

Competing with that mentality is hard.

I don’t want to be a big business. But people don’t understand why we aren’t open more, longer, have more variety, etc. My business, in particular, is just plain different. We do not fit into a mold.We’re not a bakery in the sense that we don’t do donuts, cakes, or pies. Because I like the creation part, our inventory is ever changing – buy it today, because it may be gone tomorrow never to return. Or be a squeaky wheel and wear us down – we’ll find that recipe and make it again – we are suckers for a compliment.

EM: How did you/do you decide on your menus and offerings?

JL: A lot of trial and error. We try to make good, healthy food. Only one soup out of 30 or more has cream – all the rest make good use of the immersion blender to get a creamy consistency from potatoes, beans, or even zucchini. A lot of what we do comes from what we like to eat – everyone has a say in our menu.You can tell because we start naming things after them – Cheryl’s Fave cookies, Patti’s Elegant Jam Tarts, Allie’s Apple Cinnamon Rolls. I guess we need to find something for Lee and Lyndsay. Some products are invented out of not wanting to waste good leftover ingredients. We have a Gypsy soup (we stole that name from another deli) that uses a little bit of this and a little bit of that – usually lots of vegetables, fireroasted tomatoes (because we always have those) and barley or rice or beans, and some spinach or kale – like I said, healthy. The problem comes, of course, when we try to recreate it because in all likelihood, we didn’t write a darn thing down!

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