Locally sourced Alaska products are the newest addition to the Kenai Municipal Airport.
Riley Updike, the owner of Laser Art Alaska LLC, requested and obtained a special use permit through the City of Kenai to open a gift shop in the airport through the end of August, according to an April 7 memo from Airport Manager Eland Conway to the Kenai City Council.
The memo states that the shop will be “an additional boost in airport revenue” and “create additional foot traffic” benefiting other businesses at the facility.
On Wednesday, Updike said he saw an opportunity to bring local goods to visitors.
“I figured we have a really good opportunity to open a gift shop here too, and really help the community and the travelers that come through the airport,” Updike said.
He’s owned Laser Art Alaska for around three years now, he said, which is a custom engraving business. He has some of his own engravings at the shop, but also sells other gifts.
The shop is stocked with locally made apparel, cosmetics, souvenirs, kitchenware and more.
“The metal art, the laser engraved cutting boards and cups, the soaps, the body scrubs, the T-shirts, the sweatshirts, the seasonings, it’s all made in the Kenai-Soldotna area,” Updike said. “So it’s all even locally made, (which) was the idea.”
Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.
Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion Riley Updike works at My Alaskan Gifts in the Kenai Municipal Airport.
