These Jackson County businesses closed in 2023

JACKSON COUNTY, MI – Between abrupt closures and owners retiring, some Jackson County-area businesses closed their doors in 2023.

Here are some businesses that closed this year.

Slice n Dice Board Game Pizzeria

A lack of staff and the cost of goods prompted Slice n Dice Board Game Pizzeria to close its doors permanently in February.

The restaurant at 1220 W. Parnall Road opened in September 2021, mixing board games and food to create a fun night out for friends or family.

Read more: Slice n Dice pizza restaurant closes its doors after less than 2 years in Jackson

Marino’s Pizza

Marino’s Pizza closed one of its Jackson-area locations after it sold the building to Blackman Township.

Marino’s Pizza started as a small shop on Parnall Road around 35 years ago, with only six dining tables and limited space. Over the years the business has grown and now includes other locations in Jackson County.

But maintaining all these restaurants became difficult for Mary Nichols and her husband Kurt, so they downsized and closed the restaurant at 1980 W. Parnall Road in Feburary. The Marino’s Pizza restaurants at 1900 Horton Road and 102 Teft Road are still open.

Blackman Township paid $1.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to buy the building and 18.5 acres to expand its public safety facility, officials said.

Read more: A Marino’s Pizza location is closing in Jackson County, but the building won’t be vacant

Save-A-Lot

After 15 years of offering discounted groceries, Save-A-Lot closed its doors in Jackson in July.

Owner Roy Rabban said he opened the discount supermarket chain store at 3525 O’Neill Drive in Blackman Township in 2008, after owning a grocery store in the Detroit area with his brothers.

Rabban said he decided to close Save-A-Lot due to increased competition from new stores in the Jackson area.

Read more: Save-A-Lot closing its doors in Jackson after 15 years

Swiss Treat

The long-running Swiss Treat ice-cream shop near Jackson closed, but a new ice-cream shop took its place.

Swiss Treat Owners Greg and Becky Vancalbergh sold their business at 4005 Lansing Ave., to Rebecca Lewis, who brought a Spad’s Twisters ice cream shop franchise to the location.

The Vancalberghs decided to close the shop to solely focus on their other business, Jackson Popcorn Depot, located in Jackson Crossing. Business has been growing there and they were ready to make the change, they said.

Read more: A new ice cream shop is replacing Swiss Treat near Jackson

Weaver Tile

After Scott Weaver spent 30 years working as a stonemason, the labor became too hard on his body, so his chiropractor proposed he take tile-making courses at Pewabic Pottery in Detroit.

Despite never taking an art class in his life, Weaver began taking the classes in 1996 and immediately found an interest and business, Weaver Tile.

After 22 years, however, Weaver, 65, is closing his shop at the end of December to focus on other interests.

Read more: Starting with a single ball of clay, Weaver Tile owner plans to retire after 22 years

PizzaForno

PizzaForno moved all its pizza vending machines out of Jackson and into a different market.

PizzaForno, a Canadian company, opened in Jackson as its first U.S. test market in 2021. However, low foot traffic at the machines and nearby competition made Jackson an undesirable place for them, company officials said.

Related: Gourmet pizza vending machines coming to Jackson

Jackson’s PizzaForno vending machines at 100 S. Cooper St., 1319 E. Michigan Ave. and 2900 Springport Road, moved out of Jackson in the spring to new locations in Michigan.

Read more: PizzaForno is moving its pizza vending machines out of Jackson

Apricot Lane

After five years of dressing Jackson with style, Apricot Lane closed its doors in 2023. Jenny Murphy, owner of the women’s clothing boutique, said it’s what she needed to do for her family.

Apricot Lane opened inside Westwood Mall in 2018 before moving to its downtown location in the Blake Building, 180 W. Michigan Ave., in 2020, taking over a spot occupied by A Frame Above, a custom framing shop and boutique that closed earlier that year after 18 years.

Read more: After 5 years of fashion, a downtown Jackson boutique is closing its doors

Bras That Fit

Bras That Fit, 4114 Page Ave., wasn’t just a business for owner Rita Whitaker. It was about trying to fill a need for women in the community.

Whitaker, 78, tried take care of all of her customers, but especially those wearing hard-to-find bra sizes, she said. During the Michigan Center store’s 19 years, she said she’s helped thousands of women find bras that actually fit and changed their lives.

Bras That Fit sold hard-to-find bra sizes, swimwear, nightgowns, sports bras and shapewear. The store closed in September.

Read more: After 19 years of helping women find the right size, Bras That Fit is closing

Modern Farmhouse

Modern Farmhouse, 4552 Page Ave., closed its retail store in November, but is not going out of business.

The business is returning to its roots of working from home and continuing to build custom orders. The business will also have its barn open one weekend a month and by appointment.

Read more: A Michigan Center store closed its storefront, but it’s not going out of business

Party City

In January, Party City filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to restructure and reduce its debts.

In response, Party City closed and auctioned off leases of several locations across the U.S., including the store in Jackson, which closed its doors in April.

Party City had been in Jackson since it took over the former Office Depot space at 1510 N. West Ave., after it closed in 2013.

Read more: Party City is closing its doors in Jackson after filing for bankruptcy

Rite Aid

Pharmacy chain Rite Aid closed hundreds of stores in the U.S. amid its bankruptcy restructuring, and a Jackson location was one of those on the chopping block.

The Rite Aid location at 3100 E. Michigan Ave., one of 19 Michigan stores that closed, shut its doors in November.

Related: Rite Aid to close 19 Michigan stores amid bankruptcy restructuring

The decision to close a store is based on a variety of factors including business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and store performance, officials said.

Read more: Rite Aid is closing one of its Jackson locations amid bankruptcy filing

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