Diane Schindlbeck of Schindy’s at Diamond Lake

When life gave them an old gas station, Diane Schindlbeck and husband Eric made one of the best laid-back pizza joints in West Michigan.

In Newaygo County, north of Grand Rapids, you won’t find the kind of fancy restaurants you might expect in a big city. But on the shores of Diamond Lake, you will find some of the best pizza in West Michigan at a little gas station called Schindy’s. Diane Schindlbeck and her husband Eric opened the bar and restaurant in November 2021, after stepping away from their previous restaurant following pandemic shutdowns. With support and guidance from the Michigan Small Business Development Center, funded in part by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Schindy’s has won accolades for the quality of its thin-crust pizza and recognition as one of Michigan’s best small businesses.

While the awards are nice, Diane is proudest of the relationships she’s built with customers, her community and other small businesses to create a place that feels like Pure Michigan, because it feels like home.

“I was born and raised in Wolf Lake, a rural township in Muskegon County. My husband Eric grew up in Spring Lake, Michigan.  We moved to Newaygo County in 2017.  My husband was working for Spring Lake Township, and I traveled, working on political campaigns throughout Michigan.  We purchased a tiny cabin on the White River in Lincoln Township, which was our stepping stone to get us to our forever home. 

Since I traveled for work, we visited a local restaurant, Lakes 23, every Tuesday night, and became regulars. In 2016, the Gorsky family, well-known philanthropists from Fremont, had purchased the property and developed Waters Edge Golf Course and Lakes 23 Restaurant. We got to know the family and they invited us to purchase the food operations in 2018. We managed the restaurant for a year before taking ownership in August 2019, six months before the COVID-19 shutdowns. 

My husband came up with a great plan to keep our employees employed and provide community service.  Throughout the shutdowns, we provided free meals twice daily for the entire county to all our first responders and law enforcement.  This got statewide recognition, and we delivered over 4,000 meals. When the second shutdown came in November 2020, Eric and I decided to walk away from Lakes 23 and sell the food operations back to the Gorsky family.

We truly enjoyed our time there, so we looked for another opportunity. There was a new liquor license that would become available in February 2021, created for struggling restaurants during the pandemic.  I started to seek out properties that would meet its criteria.

On a cold, snowy night in January 2021, we drove to Bitely, Michigan, to look at a building that was for sale. We knew instantly that was not where we wanted to be. On our way home we didn’t follow the GPS and took a different turn. We got to a stop sign on the corner of Mundy and Foss Avenue. With no leaves on the trees, I turned and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of a gas station, only 10 minutes from our home on the White River. The next day, we went and looked at the property.  I knew instantly the potential it could have. 

I called a liquor investigator and asked, ‘Do you think this property would qualify for that new license?’

She said, ‘It’s a long shot, but you can take a chance.’

So we did. We purchased the building and began the licensing process. We completely gutted the inside and made outdoor improvements for the whole year. In November 2021, we were issued the first Class C and SDD liquor license by the State of Michigan.  This was a huge accomplishment and risk, but I knew it would happen for us.

We opened our doors at Schindy’s around Thanksgiving 2021. Located in rural Michigan, only 30% of the residents in Diamond Lake are here year-round, so we needed to become a destination while still providing for the locals. This community never had a place to gather. When Schindy’s was created, the community was so supportive, because now they had a place that they could visit over a meal and look out over beautiful Diamond Lake. 

Our customers realize that coming to Schindy’s is like coming to our home.  That’s what we wanted to create, and we succeeded. We have games to play and camaraderie to share as my husband and I are here every day, all day, talking and visiting with our customers. We’re only closed on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Our employees believe in our story as well and they provide the same love and attention. At Schindy’s, you’re home.

Coming out of the pandemic, we truly did not want a restaurant, but we had to put in the kitchen to acquire the liquor license.  The previous owner served frozen pizza, so it made sense to go with pizza.

At first, I looked at a chain pizza service where you lease their equipment and purchase their product, like a pizza by the slice, but my girlfriend said, ‘Diane, I know you too well. You will not be happy with that.’ So, we bought a pizza oven and hired a chef. 

But that chef kept saying, ‘When are we going to make burgers?’

I said, ‘We bought a pizza oven; we’re not making any burgers.’

We fired the chef and into the kitchen I went. Although I'm a pretty good cook at home, I knew what kind of a pizza I wanted to create. I wanted a thin crust and the freshest ingredients. We prepare all our vegetables fresh daily, and most of our meats are sliced in house.

Our quality pizza began to get recognition quickly during our second year, when WZZM, our local ABC affiliate, ran a poll for the Best Pizza in West Michigan. With my experience in marketing, I took a chance at sharing their poll on our social media. Overnight, we were in the top 10. I was so humbled and surprised I couldn’t believe it.  At the end of the week, WZZM recognized three pizzas and we were one of them. This publicity went statewide, and we received guests that traveled all the way from the east side of the state and the Indiana border just to visit this pizza place at a gas station.

Most of our products that we use in the kitchen and sell in the store are ‘Michigan Made’ – almost 90%. We believe in Michigan, and we love the relationships we have built with other small Michigan companies. If you look at our beer, wine and liquor selections, almost all of them are from Michigan.

As a new entrepreneur, I knew I had a lot to learn.  I was fortunate to work for some very successful people throughout my eclectic career, and I brought so much knowledge and experience from them. To this day, I still thank them for everything they taught me: use resources, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and never stop learning. 

When I wanted to start a business years ago, my banker introduced me to Grow, formerly Grand Rapids Organization for Women.  I began attending their workshops, and I was fortunate to meet Marie Elliott with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).  Instantly, I felt connected to her and confident that she would help me learn.  She also nominated us for the SBDC Best Small Business Award, and we received this honor at the Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards Gala in April 2025.

Our customers are a big part of what I love about Newaygo County, especially here in Diamond Lake. Most of the people are up here at their cabin, so they are not in the hustle and bustle of their everyday life.  They’re here to relax and that’s what makes Schindy’s a low-key place to visit. We also love the nature. There are so many trails for walking, hiking, motorsports, horses and snowmobiles. It’s so peaceful here. My husband and I are constantly saying, ‘We finally found our home.’

We are here and committed for life. We are already working on some ideas for expansion and growth. We will continue to provide exceptional service and amazing food to our community, and to invest our time and our money into making this an amazing place.

Come visit Schindy's and relax.  It's just pizza from a gas station.”

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