07/17/2026
🍦 We are thrilled and honored to be featured by the Midland Business Alliance!
July Member Spotlight Series: Celebrating Midland's Food & Beverage Businesses
Throughout July, the Midland Business Alliance is highlighting a handful of the incredible food and beverage businesses that help make our community unique. Through this special series, we're sharing the stories behind the people, passion, and purpose that fuel these local businesses and the impact they have on our communities.
Our first stop takes us to the Village of Sanford, where Salt Spring Ice Cream has quickly become a destination for families, visitors, and anyone looking to make sweet summer memories.
Salt Spring Ice Cream: Serving More Than Scoops in Sanford
When Bridgit Sova retired after more than three decades as a teacher, she wasn't planning to slow down.
She had always dreamed of opening a plant shop, but after exploring the idea with her husband, they realized another opportunity could help bring that vision—and something even bigger—to life. Around that time, community leaders encouraged them to look at Sanford, a village that had gone years without an ice cream shop.
That conversation sparked what would become Salt Spring Ice Cream.
"It all started because people believed Sanford needed something like this again," Sova said.
Like many first-time business owners, opening the shop meant learning an entirely new world of permits, insurance, licensing, and business planning. Sova credits the Midland Business Alliance and the Michigan Small Business Development Center for helping guide the process from an idea to opening day.
"They walked me through everything," she said. "Starting a business can feel overwhelming, but they made it manageable. I tell anyone thinking about opening a business to start there."
Even the shop's name reflects Sanford's history.
While researching the community, Sova discovered the area was originally known as the Salt Spring Reserve long before Charles Sanford purchased the land that would eventually bear his name. Today, that history still lives just steps from the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, making Salt Spring Ice Cream a tribute to the community's roots as much as its future.
Inside, customers will find premium Guernsey and Ashby's Sterling Ice Cream, but the experience extends well beyond choosing a favorite flavor.
Drawing from her years as an educator, Sova has transformed the shop into a place where childhood memories are made.
Children can order creative specialty sundaes served in flower pots complete with wildflower seed packets to plant at home, beach bucket sundaes featuring edible "sand" and tiny shovel spoons, dinosaur-themed creations inspired by nearby Dow Gardens, and plenty of surprises tucked inside every kids' order.
"I want kids to remember coming here," Sova said. "Thirty years from now, I hope they're bringing their own children back because they remember the fun they had."
That same philosophy extends to the employees. Many of the students hired during the shop's first season continue returning each summer, even after heading off to college.
This year, those employees helped launch a weekly "Sundae Showdown," creating original recipes that customers voted for simply by ordering them. The winning creation—an Oreo Volcano Sundae—sold nearly 50 in a single week. The friendly competition has since grown into new projects, including designing future Salt Spring Ice Cream apparel.
The shop has also embraced social media in creative ways, hosting scavenger hunts around Sanford, highlighting local landmarks, and sharing lighthearted videos that showcase both the business and the community.
While creativity keeps customers coming back, Sova says the support from Sanford's business community has made the biggest difference.
From neighboring businesses watching over the shop during its earliest days to fellow business owners stepping in during unexpected challenges, she says collaboration—not competition—defines the community.
"It really takes everyone helping everyone," she said.
That spirit is especially meaningful as Sanford continues its recovery and celebrates the return of Sanford Lake. Alongside community events, concerts, the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, and local attractions, Salt Spring Ice Cream has become another reason for families to spend an afternoon exploring the village.
For Sova, every scoop served is about more than dessert.
It's about creating traditions, supporting a community she believes in, and making sure every family leaves with a memory they'll want to revisit for years to come.
