Family Affair

The Zehnders of Frankenmuth, Michigan, are no strangers to retailing. The family owns and operates a chicken dinner restaurant, a gourmet food shop and bakery, and an adjacent motel and golf course. When the opportunity arose to open a holiday shop in a new European-style village mall, Albert Zehnder; his wife, Dee; and his sisters, Martha Shelton and Susan Zehnder, jumped at the chance to create Zehnders Magic of the Seasons.

Why did they think success in selling chicken dinners could translate into success selling Christopher Radko? Part of the answer lies in the fact that Frankenmuth is a popular regional tourist attraction, and home to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the long-established ornament retailer and wholesaler.

"Our town is noted for Christmas," says Dee Zehnder. "So we decided to do something a little different and create a seasonal and holiday decor shop."

With their restaurant and food shop, Zehnders already had experience in pleasing the tourist palate. And they are particularly adept at building their brand: One of the four rooms in the new store — called the Bistro — sells the Zehnders' gourmet food products.

Magic of the Seasons is situated on Frankenmuth's Main Street, facing the Cass River. The Bavarian Inn restaurant, a local institution, owns River Place, the 30-store mall complex in which it is located. The overall design of River Place takes its cue from old Bavarian villages, with steep gabled roofs and cobblestone streets. Part of the complex's festive appeal includes a paddle wheeler that offers river rides.

One of the challenges the Zehnders faced in their latest venture was to design a 5,000-square-foot store that would fit with the Bavarian theme of the mall. They chose the design firm JGA Inc. of Southfield, Michigan, whose store designs have won numerous Gifts & Dec Retailer Excellence Awards, and which specializes in designing retail stores. Mike Crosson, the JGA design leader for the project, addressed the stylistic challenge by using a predominantly art nouveau style, a quintessential element of Bavarian architecture.

The interior of Zehnders is made up of four main rooms. The largest, through which visitors enter, is the Grand Salon, which features 30-foot ceilings. "The ceiling goes up forever," says Dee. To prevent the space from feeling cavernous, JGA designed a curved metal sculpture — embellished with curlicues and "shooting" stars — that is suspended 15 feet above the floor. "It caps off the ceiling, and creates a wonderful fantasy effect and whimsical backdrop," says Dee.

The store's emphasis is on seasonal decor, "not just all Christmas," Dee explains, and the Grand Salon showcases the featured season. Displays include four ten-foot trees that highlight unusual ornaments and home decor. They are changed quarterly. The perimeter wall is accented with a series of sparkle glass windows.

The next room, known as the Hearth Room, showcases Christopher Radko ornaments and Department 56 villages, creating a cozy, homey look accented by burgundy and mahogany tones, and accessorized with oversized tables and armoires. A working fireplace is crowned with an attention-grabbing soffit painted bright red.

The Enchanted Forest room, decorated in white and silver with a checkerboard floor, offers a selection of indoor, outdoor, and garden product. "It's a winter wonderland room for kids, and we wanted the color scheme to be flexible for seasonal items," says Dee. The center of the room features a ten-foot metal gazebo showcasing a display of the famous Frankenmuth Zeesenagel angels.

The Bistro showcases private-label food products and gourmet home accessories from the Zehnders of Frankenmuth kitchen. The room is accented with a wall of windows overlooking a courtyard fountain.

The biggest unexpected difficulty for the designers to overcome was the floor elevations, which varied from room to room.

"It was a challenge to create a plan that would make it handicapped accessible," says Dee, referring to the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Steps connecting the rooms would not only prevent wheelchair access, they could discourage able-bodied customers as well. To remedy the situation, jackhammers went to work on the concrete subfloor, and sculptured, integrated ramps were installed to create an easy approach to every level.

Magic of the Seasons has a far more pared down look than most Christmas stores, where profusion of product indicates abundance. The decision to go more minimalist was made to set the store apart in Frankenmuth, according to Dee. To that end, she credits Crosson and JGA creative director Mike Benincasa for their help in "suggesting lighting, colors, and moods that create the appropriate backdrop for the unique and unusual seasonal product lines that we chose."

In order to keep within their $500,000 budget, the Zehnders cut back on a number of options JGA had originally suggested. These included leaded-glass doors for the entrance, signage, and some fixtures. Magic of the Seasons opened in August 2001, and the response has been worth the investment.

"People are just amazed," says Dee. "They have a very wide-eyed reaction when they walk in." The family expects to achieve gross annual sales of approximately $800,000 by the time they've completed their first year.

And, thanks to the Zehnder family, Frankenmuth will have another tourist attraction.