Nate Heffron, city manager, city of Negaunee

NEGAUNEE — Hockey enthusiasts and sandwich aficionados alike should be excited to learn that a new restaurant has opened on Iron Street, in Downtown Negaunee. In fact, you could say the city scored a hat trick.

This new sandwich shop features a vintage hockey theme based on Paul Newman’s 1977 movie, “Slapshot”. For those who haven’t seen it, we recommend streaming it – because the movie’s characters are reportedly based on Yoopers!

Slapshot Sandwiches is located at 400 Iron Street in Negaunee, in a building familiar to locals because it once housed the Elder Insurance Agency.

“The building was vacant and needed a lot of work to bring it to where it is today”, said Brice Sturmer, building owner and Slapshot investor.

Many may know Brice from his ownership of Velodrome Coffee, with several locations throughout the Upper Peninsula.

“I’ve been trying to start a business in downtown Negaunee for quite some time, no luck. Then I found this building in 2022. I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted there, I just knew I wanted something in Negaunee”, Brice said.

As Brice was figuring out what to do, Alex Babcock, one of his associates at Velodrome’s Ishpeming location, approached him with a sandwich shop idea. Fast forward two years later, and Slapshot is a reality!

“We worked with Northern Initiates to help us through the process of starting a business and finding the funding. We also were grateful to work with the City of Negaunee who helped out through their tax abatement program, help that pushed along the project. Negaunee has this atmosphere that many other communities in the U.P. don’t have. They are investing, without the streetscape project our business would not have been possible, we would not be here today,” Brice said.

Sturmer invested $330 thousand dollars in Slapshot. That includes purchasing the building. He was as hands-on as a building owner could be – completing as much of the work himself as he could legally. And he says he’s glad he did.

“It’s the activity here, in downtown. We have never seen it so busy,” Brice said “It’s encouraging and ensures that we made the right decision to invest in Negaunee.”

What about the food? Not only do they have it, patrons will feel like they’ve scored. Starting with breakfast sandwiches served all day long for those that like to sleep in. Followed by a great line up of classic sandwiches they call the “Original Six”, a nod to the NHL’s original six teams. They also carry tasty treats like chicken strips, cheese curds, fried pickles, an array of French fry choices as well as poutine.

Slapshot is open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The shop is currently closed on Sundays.

Many menu items are made in-house, such as their cudighi, corned beef, chorizo sausage, and breakfast sausage and baked goods. They also make purchasing produce and eggs from local farms a priority. So we know where the shop is, and the delicious things it offers, but what’s the story behind the name?

After talking with both Alex and his wife Jaki Lambert, operators and managers of the Slapshot, I found that the idea came from Alex. “Alex grew up in a hockey family and Negaunee is a big hockey town”, Jaki said.

Both Jaki and Alex say they plan to stick to the current menu items. They are thinking about the future – but it’s a bit early to determine what will be next.

“Our first day was rough and fun, but an amazing experience. We ran out of food the first day and breakfast the second. The support of Negaunee has been overwhelming and we couldn’t have asked for anything more”, Jaki said.

Slapshot employs two full-time workers and four part-timers, including two high schoolers. To learn more about their menu you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, or at their website www.eatslapshot.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Nate Heffron is city manager of the city of Negaunee.