08/27/2026
❤️ Meet the Owners ❤️
Over the past several weeks, you've gotten to know the incredible people who make Gem City Skate possible. Today, we thought it was finally our turn.
Hi! We're Sierra and Mikhayla.
A little over two years ago, we took a leap of faith and became the owners of Gem City Skate. What started as a dream quickly became the biggest challenge—and the greatest privilege—of our lives.
Owning a skating rink isn't just about opening the doors for skate sessions. It's replacing water heaters, tackling electrical projects, planning events, fixing things that break, answering messages late at night, ordering inventory, balancing budgets, and doing whatever it takes to make sure every family who walks through our doors has a great experience.
In just over two years, we've reinvested more than $100,000 back into the rink. We've professionally refinished the skate floor for the first time in decades, added a much-needed new storefront entrance, completed major electrical upgrades, replaced water heaters, invested in new equipment, and most recently ordered an entirely new fleet of rental skates—a highly requested and long-awaited upgrade that we know so many of you have been excited for.
And we're not done.
We know the exterior needs painted. The walls need refreshed. The party room deserves an update. There are still countless projects on our list, and trust us—we think about them every single day.
The reality is, we're not a franchise or a large corporation. We're a small, family-owned business. Every improvement comes from saving, planning, and reinvesting what the rink earns right back into the building. Every dollar you spend here helps us make the next improvement possible.
We're often compared to what this rink was 20 or 30 years ago, and we completely understand why. Those memories are part of what makes this place so special, and we're honored to be the ones carrying that legacy forward. But the building we inherited had gone years without many of the major investments it needed. Restoring a historic skating rink isn't something that happens overnight—it takes time, patience, and an incredible amount of hard work.
Our goal has never been to restore Gem City Skate overnight. Our goal is to restore it the right way.
None of what we've accomplished would be possible without the amazing people you've met over the last several weeks.
Our staff isn't just a group of employees—they've become our family. When we moved to Erie, we didn't have family here. For the past two years, it's been the two of us, alongside this incredible team, working toward the same goal. They've celebrated the victories with us, helped us through the challenges, stayed late when we needed them, stepped up when things got difficult, and believed in this dream every step of the way. We truly couldn't do this without them.
To our staff: thank you. Thank you for believing in us, for working hard, for caring about this place as much as we do, and for helping create memories for thousands of families. We are so incredibly proud of each and every one of you.
And to our customers—thank you.
Every admission, birthday party, skate rental, slice of pizza, kind review, and word of encouragement helps us continue investing in this rink. You're not just supporting a local business—you're helping preserve a place where generations of Erie families have made memories, and where future generations will too.
Every improvement we've made has been possible because of your support. Every improvement still to come will be possible for the very same reason.
We're building something we're proud of—not just for today, but for the next generation of skaters who will call Gem City Skate their rink.
Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for growing with us. And thank you for being part of the Gem City Skate family.
We promise... we're just getting started. ❤️
— Sierra & Mikhayla
Owners, Gem City Skate
