When a hunting accident in 1895 caused Marquette resident Fred Donckers to lose his right arm, providing for his wife and two small children became a concern. No longer able to fulfill his duties as general assistant at Stafford’s green house on Third Street, Donckers began traveling the Upper Peninsula as a book salesman. When this failed to bring in enough money to support his young family, the native Belgian turned to confections.

Donckers began with a simple, open-air stand featuring candy, fresh fruit, tobacco and $.05 hot-buttered popcorn. It was 1896 and Marquette was buzzing. The harbor was a flood of activity, electric lights were replacing gas, telephone poles were sprouting up, and main business streets were being paved with crushed rock to awe of onlookers. Downtown was lively and Donckers was a popular stop.

Donckers built a more permanent home for his store on Washington Street, directly to the east of the present location, opening in 1906. In 1914, acting on the steady growth of not just his own business, but of the Marquette community as a whole, Fred moved Donckers into larger quarters and constructed a movie theater next door which he leased to Delft Theaters, Inc. This new location for Donckers, its present location, provided enough space for Donckers to expand its offerings to include soda fountain and dining services.

Soda fountains were the social center of small-town America, and Marquette was no exception. The tall booths were constantly filled with customers satisfying their sweet tooth while catching up on all the latest local news and gossip.

The luncheonette menu was reflective of palates and included cream pea soup, hot malted milk and beef tea. If a sandwich was what you desired, your options were extensive: olive and tongue, pimento and olive, pimento and nut, pimento cheese, walnut, olive and nut, olive and ham, minced ham, creamed cheese, or the lettuce sandwich. There were also a few items familiar to today’s tables such as tuna salad and the good ole’ ham sandwich — $.05 extra if you wanted it toasted.

The “lettuce sandwich” doesn’t seem so far fetched when you take a glimpse at the soda fountain offerings. With “mallow peach gobbler,” “caramel nut puff,” and “chocolate salted peanut,” patrons wanted to be sure to leave plenty of room for dessert.  While sundaes with names like “The Talk of the Town,” and “Hankie Pankie” don’t find themselves on menus today, they’re created with timeless sweet tooth satiations like ice cream topped with chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, hot fudge, fresh fruit, nuts and real whipped cream.

The delicious Donckers menu was also speckled with promises of superior customer service: “We want you to feel perfectly free to ask us to refill any order that is not perfectly satisfactory.”  A commitment to the highest quality ingredients was also stated: “Everything we serve is home made. Our baking is done by Mrs. Helen Ferris and our ice creams are made from rich, pure, 24-percent cream, sugar, and the choicest and most delicate fruit flavorings.”

They heyday of the American soda fountain lasted well into the 1950s, but by the mid 1960s, their profitability and popularity had greatly diminished. To the delight of area residents, Donckers persevered with fountain and food service until 1970 when the tough decision was made to discontinue these aspects of the business. But dedicated to both community and craft, Donckers retained their much-adored fudge and chocolate offerings.

Generations of patrons passed through the door, greeted by generations of Donckers. The business was passed from Fred, to son, Frank, then on to grandsons Frank, Jr., and Fred. And with each passing of the front-door key, also came the passing of the coveted recipe for Donckers famous fudge.

You may not be formally greeted by the Donckers family today, but they are here. Their feet traveled the same floor; they served ice cream sodas across the same marble counter; they chatted with customers at the same booths. Their dedication to service and reputation for quality were cornerstones in the history of the business. We are honored to continue their tradition and welcome you to Donckers.