Lansing — After 10 years of selling nuts in East Lansing, the owner of Chester's Nuts will be moving the shop to a more noticeable location in Lansing.
The nut shop is moving to the Eastwood Towne Center from its former location at 412 Albert Ave. Mary Ferro, the owner of the shop now located at 2908 Towne Centre Blvd., said she hopes to bring in a new crowd.
"By making the move here, we're hoping for more exposure," Ferro said. "With more retails around here, this makes it easier for that exposure to happen."
Ferro said she would like to see new customers at the shop, but added that bad business was not a reason for the move.
"We had really good business in the area we were in," Ferro said. "We had a good customer base, and we did business for a bunch of corporations. I would have to say that a lack of business was not a factor in moving."
Mary Ferro's daughter, Amy Ferro, said they hope to get more business in the new location.
"With all the retail around here and free parking, we hope to see a lot more foot traffic than we would around campus," Amy Ferro said.
Mary Ferro bought the store three years ago, after spending more than 20 years as a surgical technician at St. Lawrence Hospital, 1210 W. Saginaw St.
Chester's Nuts had been open for seven years prior to Ferro's purchase of the business, and she has turned it into a family-owned venue employing her daughter, son and niece to help run the shop.
"This situation works out so well because we are such a close family," said Stephanie Shell, Mary Ferro's niece.
Shell said she enjoyed working near campus, but said it is always nice to have a change of scenery.
"We enjoyed it for the first year, but after that we just seemed to get tired of the surrounding environment," Shell said.
Parking was a big factor in wanting to move, Shell said.
"We have been looking forward to being able to park for free for a while," she said.
With the new location opening, Ferro said she is planning to make a couple changes to the business, including offering more items.
"We still are planning to get our nuts shipped from Grand Rapids, but now we are thinking of selling popcorn as well," Ferro said. "We have been in contact with Lansing Popcorn (Co.) to help out, and now that the shop has gotten bigger, we have the opportunity to do this."
Ferro added she would be keeping the shop open on the weekends and plans to hire more employees.
With the shop opening soon, Ferro hopes the move will be positive for the business.
"I'm really excited and hopeful this change will add to the exposure and make things better for the business," Ferro said. "It's been a family business since I've owned it, and I hope it stays that way for some time to come."
