M Street Baking Co., the downtown Howell bakery famous for its decadent milkshakes and located at 117 N. Michigan Ave., recently purchased nearly 60% of the now-vacant 1.6-acre Holkins Lumberyard site, which includes a 10,000-square-foot building that is being used as a warehouse. The rest of the property is owned by the Howell Carnegie District Library.
Vandals struck at the site last week, causing damage that included spray-painting the building. Stephanie Mazaris, one of the M Street owners, posted photos of the vandalism on a mom-to-mom forum on Facebook, with the reminder that the site is private property.
M Street Baking Co. — owned and operated by sisters Stephanie and Emily Mazaris, and their mother, Nancy Mazaris — has become a popular destination for upscale treats since it opened in 2015.
According to the for-sale listing for the old Holkins site, the building is “a circa-1940, two-story, brick warehouse building with single-story frame addition (that) currently occupies approximately 1/6 of the block.” Additionally, the lot has a probability of being zoned for a new building, and the site itself is adjacent to one of Howell’s largest parking lots, and within walking distance of the Historic Howell Theater and the Howell Carnegie District Library.
Nancy Mazaris said the building on the Holkins lot is currently being used as a warehouse while M Street prepares to open a new kiosk location in Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. The kiosk will focus primarily on their milkshakes, but will also offer baked goods such as cupcakes, cheesecake, and cookies.
Nancy Mazaris is also the mother of Adam Merkel, who owns Diamond’s, Cello’s, and the Silver Pig restaurants in downtown Howell, but has no affiliation with M Street.
Nancy Mazaris said there are no other current plans for the site.
