Reaching 20 years in business, The Rocket continues to be a place of nostalgia, gifts and candy for all.
After graduating from Eastern Michigan University and settling down in Ypsilanti, owners Eli Morrissey and Paul Balcom decided to open The Rocket in Downtown Ypsilanti. Initially seeking to be a gift novelty store, they decided to incorporate candy, expanding their customer base and bringing a “nostalgic candy corner store feeling,” Morrissey said.
Over the years, the business has expanded, moving from the original building in 2010 to one across the street, opening a second store in downtown Ferndale in 2014, and in 2018 making an investment in the shop's website, which they consider their third store.
The Rocket incorporates toys that become trendy like NeeDohs and Funko Pops to reflect the interests of the community and provide products the local community is excited about.
“I always call our store a sub pop store, because we’re not a pop store, but kind of like, what’s next,” Morrissey said. “We are not too hip, we're also not too mainstream.”
Aside from toys, the store carries fun stationary like fart citation notepads, quoted oven mitts and a variety of colorful coffee mugs.
“We’re not just a place for kids. When I see people like, 'Oh, you know, I'm going to bring my kids,’ I'm like, ‘You should come too. You're gonna like it. You might even like it more than your kids,'” Morrissey said.
Most retail spaces and businesses were vacant when The Rocket first opened in Downtown Ypsilanti.
“When we came into downtown that was the height of its decline for sure,” Morrissey said. “I’m happy that it’s come a long way, but it has gone through its bumps along the way.”
Becoming a destination business was important to the owners' success, aside from relying on local customers.
“We knew we had to do that because, if we did not do that, the business would have not worked,” Morrissey said.
Creating memorable experiences for the community and driving support for other businesses helps preserve the local businesses in Ypsilanti, Morrissey explained.
“It brings character to the community. It makes it different,” Morrissey said. "When you have a small business structure, it makes your community unique in a sense that people want to come and visit, and say, ‘Oh, that's a cool little shop. I’m going to go there and then go out to eat somewhere.’ I think that part of building a good community is just having a good small business structure and a city government that supports it.”
Morrissey recalls seeing the local kids come into The Rocket as babies, with their parents pushing them in their stroller or being on their dads back, and now those same kids coming in as adults headed off to college.
“It’s like, wow, people grow up. And you see it happen,” Morrissey said. “That’s probably one of our favorite things about being down here.”
Memories like these show The Rocket’s role as a consistent part of Ypsilanti’s community, where families return and grow.
