PORT SANILAC, MI — Visitors arriving at the Port Sanilac Marina will find much more than a place to dock a boat.
On Water LLC purchased the waterfront property for about $3 million in May 2025. A little more than a year later, the marina, 7365 Cedar St., is home to On Water Dining, The Sail Inn & Harbor House, On Water Pizza & Ice Cream Co., an expanded marina store and plans for additional guest rooms.
For On Water LLC owner Patrick Greene, the goal was never simply to renovate buildings.
“I wanted something that I could enjoy,” Greene said. “People ask me why I did this. I tell them I get to do this at my age.”
Greene, 75, whose background includes automotive, medical and distribution businesses, said he wasn’t looking for another traditional business venture. Instead, he wanted to build a place where people could spend more than an afternoon.
“It’s become more than I ever expected,” he said.
More than a marina
Greene’s vision didn’t stop with adding new businesses. The redevelopment has become a collaborative effort, with each person bringing a different perspective to the property.
While Greene oversees marina operations and ongoing construction, partner Gina Piscopo focused on creating inviting guest spaces and expanding the marina store beyond traditional marina souvenirs. And chef Clint Frenette developed a restaurant built around seasonal ingredients, scratch cooking and Great Lakes flavors.
Together, their work touches nearly every corner of the property.
The Sail Inn & Harbor House currently offers five guest rooms on the second floor above On Water Dining. Piscopo said many of the design choices came from years spent traveling.
“You learn what you like and what you don’t like,” she said. “We wanted to create the kind of room we’d want to stay in.”
Each room includes thoughtful details, from fireplaces in select suites to locally inspired artwork and marina views. An ADA-accessible room was also incorporated into the design.
The project continues beyond the main building.
A neighboring structure is being transformed into five additional hotel rooms. Expected to open in mid-September, the rustic-style expansion will include connecting accommodations designed for families and larger groups.
Listening to customers
Piscopo said redesigning the marina store required a different approach.
“When Pat asked me what I was going to put in here, I said, ‘I have no idea,'” she said with a laugh.
Instead of filling shelves with mostly logo merchandise, she spent time talking with customers to learn what they actually wanted.
One of the first additions, she said, was something many marinas already considered essential: ice.
“We listened to what people wanted,” Piscopo said.
Today, the marina store carries clothing, home décor, boating supplies, gifts and pet products inspired by the number of boaters traveling with their dogs.
Next door, On Water Pizza & Ice Cream Co. offers Detroit-style pizza and hand-dipped ice cream for boaters, visitors and families exploring the waterfront.
Among those stopping by July 30 was the Spagnuolo family of Troy. Jessie Spagnuolo said her family visits the Port Sanilac area regularly, but this was their first visit at the new ice cream shop.
“We like this area a lot,” she said, describing the ice cream as “delicious.”
Food as an experience
Above the pizza and ice cream shop, diners can watch chefs prepare meals through the restaurant’s open kitchen, a design inspired by one of Greene and Piscopo’s favorite restaurants.
“What a chef does, in our opinion, is art,” Piscopo said. “Being able to watch an artist at work is very much entertaining.”
That philosophy carries into the food itself.
Frenette, a third-generation chef and Le Cordon Bleu graduate, said the menu changes throughout the season based on the ingredients available rather than following a fixed list of dishes.
“We let the seasons do our planning for us,” he said.
The kitchen emphasizes Michigan produce, Great Lakes fish and whole-animal butchery, breaking down entire animals in-house and using nearly every cut. Premium steaks are featured while available, while trim from the butchering process is ground into the restaurant’s signature burgers.
For Greene, those details reflect the larger goal behind the property.
“It deserved this,” he said.
Today, visitors can arrive by boat or by car, enjoy dinner overlooking the harbor, grab pizza or ice cream downstairs, browse the marina store or spend the night overlooking the marina.
“It’s a destination,” Greene said.
The Port Sanilac Marina is located at 7365 Cedar St. in Port Sanilac.
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Port Sanilac Marina builds a destination beyond the docks | Exclusive
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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By Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald | USA TODAY Network
