Teysen's Gifts Celebrates 100 Years

Travelers visiting northern Michigan have been coming through the doors of Teysen’s Gifts Inc. for almost 100 years. The family- owned store is known for welcoming people and building strong friendships with customers and workers.

In 2026, the Mackinaw City shop will mark its 100th anniversary. It’s a milestone owner Greg Teysen still finds remarkable.

“I haven’t been there the whole hundred years,” Teysen said with a laugh. “But some seasons feel like it.”

Teysen’s Gifts is located at 300 E. Central Ave. in Mackinaw City and welcomes visitors traveling through the Straits of Mackinac. Like many nearby shops, the store is open during the busy tourist season and closes in the winter when fewer people visit. It opens each spring again when travelers return.

The business has followed Michigan’s travel seasons since it first opened.

The company began in 1926 when Teysen’s grandparents moved to the Straits area after recognizing its importance as a travel hub.

“The Straits of Mackinac has historically been a meeting place,” Teysen said. “Anyone traveling north, south, east, or west passed through here.”

His grandfather, Harry, once worked as a manager at the Saginaw Club, a private club in that city, and used his experience to open a restaurant and gift shop. After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, Teysen’s father, Ken, attended Michigan State University to study hotel and restaurant management and came home to help grow the store’s retail business.

Making their mark

In the mid-1990s, Greg and his wife, Vicki, took over the family business. They made two defining changes.

“We were raising two young boys, and the food business takes a lot of time,” Teysen said. “We decided to get out of food service and focus strictly on retail.”

Also, the family relocated the business about a half-mile north to its current site, positioning the store along one of Mackinaw City’s busiest commercial corridors.

Visibility plays a major role in attracting visitors passing through town. Teysen credits both location and presentation with helping draw customers inside.

“Location, location, location,” he said. “We’re right on the main drag and at the entrance to a major shopping area.”

Local zoning ordinances limit the size and placement of signage, making storefront appearance especially important.

Teysen follows a simple rule: how a store looks on the outside matters before customers even walk in. An open door, a clean building, and clear signs help people feel welcome when they visit for the first time.

“It’s important to keep things clean, vibrant, and inviting,” Teysen said. “We like having our doors open whenever possible. It’s almost an invisible welcome telling people, ‘Come on in.’”

Three pillars of success

Teysen says the business has lasted so long because of the strong relationships built with customers and workers over many years.

“Our success really stands on three pillars,” he said. “Returning customers, a great staff, and strong relationships with our sales reps.”

Loyal workers have helped the business succeed. Many employees have worked there for years, and summer workers often come back later to visit while on vacation.

“One of the best parts is when former staff alumni come back and share their positive employment stories and what they got out of working for us, beyond just receiving a paycheck,” Teysen said. “That’s a real blessing.”

Customers have also turned visits into family traditions.

“We hear stories all the time, someone’s grandparents came here in the 1930s, and now the grandkids are visiting,” Teysen said. Those personal connections helped carry the business through changing retail trends and economic challenges.

“Without loyal customers, dedicated staff, and understanding reps, we’d be dead in the water,” he added.

MRA keeps business up to date

Teysen’s Gifts has been a member of the Michigan Retailers Association since 1995. The business participates in MRA’s workers’ compensation services and relies on the organization’s industry resources and publications.

“My dad’s philosophy was keeping your mental radar on,” Teysen said. “You stay competitive by knowing what’s happening in your industry.”

Stores are always changing because shoppers want new things and retailers face new challenges. Learning from industry news helps small business owners stay updated on prices, products, and how they run their stores, especially in this high-tech world.

“Customers walk in asking, ‘What’s new?’” he said. “You don’t want to rely on what worked 10 years ago.”

Teysen said one big benefit of being part of the Association is seeing how other businesses handle problems.

“You learn from what other businesses do well—and sometimes from their mistakes, too,” he said.

Pondering the future

Over many years, Teysen’s Gifts faced hard times, changes in travel, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This made Teysen think about how earlier family members kept the business going during difficult times.

“I gained a whole new appreciation for how my grandparents made it through the 1930s and ’40s,” Teysen said. “I don’t know how tourist businesses survived the Depression, but it takes ingenuity.”

When COVID-era travel rules were lifted, many visitors came back to northern Michigan.

“It felt like people had been stuck inside,” he said. "When travel opened back up, everyone wanted to get out again.”

Celebrating Their Milestone

As Teysen’s Gifts approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, Greg and Vicki Teysen are reflecting on decades spent welcoming travelers to northern Michigan.

“My wife has never really had a summer off,” said Teysen, 72. “We’ve always been here taking care of customers. It’s been a wonderful life, but we’re also looking forward to experiencing some of the places we’ve heard visitors talk about all these years.”

Even as they think about retirement, the couple is excited to celebrate this special year with the workers and customers who helped the business reach 100 years. Once again, the Teysens will soon open their doors to travelers searching for souvenirs, conversation, and a warm welcome, much like visitors have done since 1926.

“Ninety-eight percent of the people who walk through our doors are happy to be here,” Teysen said. “If we can add a little joy to someone’s vacation, then we’ve done what we set out to do.”

The Teysens’ philosophy is summed up in their mission statement that is framed and displayed for all to see.

“To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive influence on those who we come in contact with.”