Current Gilligan’s Island owner Michael Lagoe, who grew up nearby and returned to the area after college, purchased the business in 2007 with his twin brother, Andy.(Photo by Sophia Root)

SHERBURNE - Commerce Chenango is proud to name Gilligan’s of Sherburne the 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year. This award specifically recognizes this local business for its longevity, community investment, and continued evolution in response to the needs of the region.

Gilligan’s Island has been part of the Sherburne community since the 1960s, when it opened as an ice cream shop with a drive-through window, an uncommon feature for local restaurants at the time. Current owner Michael Lagoe, who grew up nearby and returned to the area after college, purchased the business in 2007 with his twin brother, Andy.

The restaurant’s menu has grown over the decades and now includes homemade ice cream, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, sides, and salads. Annually, the business sells roughly 100,000 ice cream cones and sundaes and 35,000 burgers.

In 2018, the brothers brought on longtime friend Gilbert Hodges, who had been Andy's college roommate and had worked at Gilligan's Island when he was younger. Hodges now leads the wholesale ice cream side of the business. The partnership has allowed the business to expand its reach while managing the demands of a growing operation.

That expansion took a significant step forward in February 2026, when the partners opened Gilligan’s Fresh Market, a grocery storefront designed to fill the void left by the closure of the Sherburne Big M. This loss was felt broadly, according to Andy Lagoe, “It’s crazy to think that just twenty years ago, Sherburne had three supermarkets.”

Today, access to basic grocery staples has become a challenge in many Chenango County municipalities, and Andy Lagoe noted that local mayors have reached out seeking guidance on how to address similar gaps in their own communities.

The Fresh Market, operating out of their 1,100-square-foot storefront, currently stocks dairy, fresh vegetables, and meat, with the owners open to adding items based on customer requests. Expanding the deli section with sliced meats and premade lunch options is among the changes under consideration.

When building the Fresh Market, the owners hired Jeff Collins, the former manager of the Sherburne Big M, to lead store operations and wholesale purchasing. Collins brings more than 30 years of grocery experience to the role, along with an established network of vendor relationships.

The store has seen steady growth since opening and recently began accepting EBT, a process Andy Lagoe said was facilitated by local legislators through conversations with the USDA. The Fresh Market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week and is located at 45 South Main Street in Sherburne. The owners are currently evaluating a potential expansion of the storefront to address space constraints as traffic continues to build.

Community investment has been a consistent thread through the business’s history. Between October and March, Gilligan’s Island hosts fundraiser nights on Mondays and Wednesdays, donating 20 percent of that evening’s profits to a different local organization each time. Participating groups typically take home between $300 and $600, depending on turnout. The program was born partly out of a desire to support local causes during slower winter months, and partly to encourage residents to continue patronizing small businesses off-season. That commitment to the community is what Commerce Chenango cited in selecting Gilligan's Island for this year's honor.

Gilligan’s will be recognized at the Annual Commerce Chenango Awards Gala at the Canasawacta Country Club on Thursday, June 18th at 5 p.m. Registration is available through the events calendar at www.commercechenango.com.