Doug Murdick’s Rooftop Box of Fudge

Doug Murdick’s Fudge opened its first store in downtown Traverse City in 1964. In 1965, they opened a second location along U.S. 31 in nearby Acme Township. The newer spot quickly distinguished itself with an iconic decoration: a giant box of fudge on its roof.

The highway-facing fudge shop is situated directly across the road from the blue waters of East Bay and is an easily recognizable landmark due to its sweet signage. The Acme store is open during the prime tourist season (May through October), but the iconic box of fudge is visible throughout the year Given the number of fudge shops dotting many towns in Northern Michigan and their immense popularity with the tourists, those vacationing “up North,” especially the ones who frequent multiple fudge shops, are often referred to as “fudgies” by local residents.