This downtown Port Huron store is shifting its focus to sweet treats

McKenna Golat, Port Huron Times Herald
·2 min read
A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. The business will be shifting to focus more on its sweet treat inventory.
A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. The business will be shifting to focus more on its sweet treat inventory.

A downtown Port Huron business will eliminate the majority of its retail inventory to focus more on ice cream and other sweet treats.

Janae Kerrigan, manager of A Little Something at 205 Huron Ave., said the changes come as a response to people doing more shopping online and in hopes to increase foot traffic downtown.

“We’re hoping that by making a fun environment it will bring people back in here,” Kerrigan said. “As times change, you have to shift with it.”

Ice cream tubs at A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. The business will soon focus more on its food sales.
Ice cream tubs at A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. The business will soon focus more on its food sales.

The changes, including an expanded menu and new flooring, should be complete by the end of April.

The business's gift shop merchandise inventory currently includes novelty mugs, tote bags, T-shirts and cards.

Lucie DeLine, A Little Something's event manager, said the changes will hopefully be good for the business. She said A Little Something made its name with its ice cream business downtown.

“We thought this would be a good way to bring in more people and become more of a destination downtown,” DeLine said.

Janae Kerrigan, left, and M.J. Rogers, right, at A Little Something on Feb. 20. 2023.
Janae Kerrigan, left, and M.J. Rogers, right, at A Little Something on Feb. 20. 2023.

A Little Something already serves ice cream, malts and shakes. Recently, the business started selling boba tea and will soon be adding miniature donuts to the menu.

Kerrigan said A Little Something will still sell bulk and packaged candy. She said they might keep a few merchandise items in stock, but it will mostly have a sweet shop feel.

Kerrigan said once the inventory at the back of the store is cleared out, they are hoping to transform it into a rental space for different events. She said it could be used for birthday parties or other social events.

A Little Something is owned and operated by the nonprofit Touchstone Services. Its goal is to give job opportunities to people with employment barriers, such as social anxiety, Autism or Down syndrome.

“The employees I’ve seen come through here from Touchstone love it here,” employee M.J. Rogers said. “They usually come back after seasonal employment to get permanently employed.”

She said the employees are also excited for the upcoming changes.

Boba tea sold at A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. It was added to the menu earlier this year.
Boba tea sold at A Little Something on Feb. 20, 2023. It was added to the menu earlier this year.

A Little Something is currently taking applications for its summer season. Applications can be picked up in-store.

A Little Something is currently open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: This downtown Port Huron store is shifting its focus to sweet treats