Mary Ellen Hughes: Keeping the ‘50s Alive

Nov. 1, 2014

Mary Ellen Hughes got her first job working at a drugstore soda fountain when she was just 14 years old. Today, she’s running her own old-fashioned fountain in downtown Harbor Springs.

She arrived by a pretty circuitous route, but for those who know Hughes, it’s apparent that this is what she was truly meant to do.

MOVING TO MAYBERRY

While living in Wyandotte, Michigan, Hughes and her husband Harmon would drive upstate to ski at Nub’s Nob and they fell in love with the beauty of the area.

"In 1970, we moved north and bought The Crow Bar, which is now called The Crow’s Nest," Hughes said. "We sold that in 1979 and then Harmon started Harmon’s Specialties, a small version of a Sysco food supply."

Hughes managed Harmon’s Specialties, as well as the food and beverage program at Birchwood Farms Golf and Country Club, for nine years.

In 1989, Harmon passed away after a battle with cancer and Hughes, with three daughters in tow, had to regroup. She bought Linehan’s Newsstand in Harbor Springs, a move that made her the fourth owner of an 80-year-old business.

"I knew it was small enough that I could run it by myself and I also loved the Mayberry small town spirit of the place," she explained.

EARLIER ERA

Hughes loved the 1950s look of the soda fountain in Linehan’s, which she’s meticulously kept intact, including the red padded counter stools, the working gooseneck spigots (one for still water, one for soda water) and the blenders, on which Mary Ellen’s staff of soda jerks receive plenty of training. This training takes a little time, as evidenced by the "baptisms" of chocolate syrup drops faintly visible on the ceiling from blending gone awry.

Mary Ellen’s menu offers sodas, ice cream drinks and what she calls comfort food: grilled sandwiches, burgers and hearty breakfasts like the unique stuffed hash browns, which are not to be missed. There’s no calorie counting here–just enjoy the good old days and Mary Ellen’s free side of nostalgia with your breakfast or lunch.

Unlike chain retro restaurants trying to artificially recapture an earlier era, it truly seems as though time has stopped at Mary Ellen’s, from the menu to the service to the surroundings.

The Andy Griffith comparisons are frequent and happen for obvious reasons. The characters from that time period wouldn’t look out of place sitting at Mary Ellen’s counter ordering onion rings, a Boston Cooler (real Vernors ginger ale and vanilla ice cream) or an authentic phosphate soda.

Hughes likes it that way, as do her loyal customers, some of whom stop in daily. Visitors love "discovering" the place as if they’ve happened upon Doc Brown’s car from "Back to the Future."

"This place brings back the era I grew up in," Hughes said. "Every drugstore had a soda fountain in it."

HOMETOWN DEVOTION

As if running a local treasure wasn’t time-consuming enough (she’s on-site nearly every day), Hughes is involved with the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce and initiated the idea for the city’s popular Taste of Harbor Springs culinary event.

"At one meeting, the board challenged us to come up with events for the shoulder seasons," Hughes explained. "I suggested Taste of Harbor Springs. 1994 was the first one. I also wanted to give back, so scholarships for the culinary arts were attached to the event."

Hughes, who enjoys family and friends and plays bridge in her spare time, participates in many local events and has also spent the past 18 years on the City Planning Commission/ Downtown Development Authority.

Her passion for her town is nearly as evident as her devotion to keeping Mary Ellen’s true to its retro self.

"I’m involved in a lot of things," she laughed. "I enjoy being involved, and this area has been so good to me and my family. When I get up in the morning, I look forward to seeing my regular customers; most of them have become more like friends, some like family. There is no place I would rather be."

Mary Ellen’s Place–"Where Good Friends Meet"–is located at 145 East Main St. in downtown Harbor Springs. They are open Sundays from 7am to 12:30pm–breakfast only; Monday through Saturday from 7am to 3pm (grill goes off at 2pm)–breakfast and lunch. Call 231-526-5591.