Jordan Beck | Daily Press Jarred Drown, general manager and owner of the Terrace Bay Hotel in Gladstone, is pictured next to a newspaper clipping on display in the hotel promoting the first event known to have taken place there. This event was held on Nov. 11, 1918 — almost a century ago.

GLADSTONE — For about two years, Gladstone’s Terrace Bay Hotel has been under new management. Jarred Drown, the hotel’s general manager and owner, said it is one of several interconnected businesses he owns.

Though it has not always been known as the “Terrace Bay Hotel,” Drown said this facility has been part of the community for quite some time. A newspaper clipping on display in the hotel promotes the first event known to have taken place there, which was held on Nov. 11, 1918 — almost a century ago.

When he took ownership of the Terrace Bay Hotel, Drown said his top priority was making changes to the hotel’s restaurant.

“The first thing we did was … started a new restaurant,” he said.

The Freshwater Tavern — which featured an all-new menu and a remodeled dining room — had its grand opening in January 2017. Since then, Drown said business has more than doubled at the restaurant.

“We’ve been steadily growing,” he said.

Drown has also made significant changes to the Terrace Bay Hotel itself since he took over. He said one particularly noteworthy change is related to the locks on the doors of hotel rooms there.

“We changed (them) to all-new, modern RFID locks,” he said.

Recently, two “test rooms” have been completed at the hotel.

“We’ve finished a complete remodel on two of the rooms,” Drown said.

In the future, Drown said he hopes to continue remodeling spaces in the hotel, starting with its waterfront rooms. Once these are done, he plans to remodel the hotel’s ballroom, followed by the lobby and other public spaces.

Along with the Terrace Bay Hotel and the Freshwater Tavern, Drown said the ballroom plays an important role at the facility.

“It’s a three-part business,” he said. This ballroom hosts weddings, corporate events, and galas, among other events.

According to Drown, business at the ballroom has also been picking up as of late.

“The prime weekend wedding dates are booking faster than they have been before,” he said, noting that Saturdays in the summer and fall of 2019 are already three-quarters booked.

Drown is a co-owner of MISH Watersports, as well. He said this company, which organizes outdoor events and rents out watersports equipment, has helped to bring people to the area — and, as a result, to the Terrace Bay Hotel and Freshwater Tavern.

MISH Watersports Co-Owner and Terrace Bay Hotel/Freshwater Tavern Marketing Director Rick Elrod said the Terrace Bay Hotel serves as a hub for MISH events thanks to its location on Lake Michigan and near a non-motorized trail.

“Having the hotel located right at the end of the trail and on the water provides a unique opportunity for us to create exciting recreational opportunities for … visitors and locals,” he said.

The trail was completed in the fall of 2017.

“This is really the first summer it’s been able to be utilized,” Drown said.

MISH is planning to hold three events this summer and fall. These events began with a half marathon and 10K run Saturday.

“We’ll be following that up with an unconventional paddle triathlon on August 25,” Elrod said. In this event, known as the “MISH Experience,” participants paddle along the bay, bike to Rapid River and back, and do a 5K run back to the Terrace Bay Hotel on the new trail. A 5K and 10K fall color run will be held on Oct. 6 to end this series of events.