Photo by K. Michelle Moran
Longtime Farms concession stand operator offered stellar service with a smile At top, the concession stand at Pier Park in Grosse Pointe Farms was run down when Graves acquired it in 1980. Below, Graves spruced up the exterior and interior of the building before opening to customers.
Photo provided by Richard Graves
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GROSSE POINTE FARMS When Grosse Pointe Farms resident Richard “Dick” Graves Jr. took over the concession stand at Pier Park in 1980, the building was a worn-down structure that had few customers and had earned the moniker of “The Shack.”
Graves’ first task was to spruce up the place, paneling the unfinished interior walls, adding compressed wood siding to dress up the exterior and planting flowers around the building. He even started mowing the grass around the building, which made it a popular spot for sunbathers to plop down a towel and soak up some rays. But it was the food that made the concession stand a