NORTON SHORES, MI— Chicago native Justin Sean was inspired to start Great Lakes Mushroom Company because he wanted to help people. Eight years ago, Sean’s grandmother died of cancer, leading him to question alternative medicines besides chemotherapy that his family could have tried. “We didn’t have this information or knowledge then, so now my goal is to basically help somebody else,” he told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. “I want to educate people about healthy living.” Sean said he and his team, which also includes part of his family, have been growing mushrooms since 2019, but incorporated it into a formal business in Grandville in 2020. By 2021, he had migrated Great Lakes Mushroom Company to the lakeshore and began selling products at the Muskegon Farmers Market. Now, the business has its first brick-and-mortar shop and restaurant at 3371 McCracken St. in Norton Shores. There is also another seasonal location in Montague. Customers can find 100% organic gourmet mushrooms, micro greens, homemade pizza, soup, salads, smoothies, mushroom coffee, cold-pressed juices and medicinal products. “We are a farm, so we farm all our mushrooms, but we’re also a retail store, a natural apothecary and a restaurant,” Sean said. “We are completely customer-oriented.” He said that his business is not like big mushroom companies that care more about quick profit, which can be dangerous. Instead of getting cheap mushrooms that are bio-accumulative, or absorb toxins out of the atmosphere and get people sick, he grows them in a 2,000-square-foot non-polluted stone basement right on site. “We let every customer who walks in know that these different medicinal products can benefit your body,” Sean said. The Great Lakes Mushroom Company incorporates gourmet mushrooms, such as shiitake, reishi, lion’s mane, chestnut and king oysters for their medicinal properties, which support immune function, cognitive health and potential cardiovascular issues. Some of the dishes that are topped with these beneficial mushrooms include the business’s fresh Chicago-style pizza. Customers can check out the small or large cheese pizza for $11.99-$19.99 and an extra $2 per topping or order the supreme for $5 extra. Gluten-free options are also available. For something a little lighter, check out the 24-oz smoothies for $10. Besides natural sweeteners like honey, the drink does not contain juice, sugar or additives. Great Lakes Mushroom Company also sells its products in 25 stores in Michigan and two in Chicago. It also ships to all 50 states through its online store. The McCracken Street location’s hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m. Saturday. Visit mushroomdeliveries.com for more information. Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigan’s Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Skyla Jewell-Hammie at . Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 Muskegon ” daily newsletter.
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