By Christopher Johnson
Big things are happening at Cops & Doughnuts, and you might have heard the latest from a friend of a friend. I’m happy to report that our local cop shop is indeed collaborating with Halo Burger to take their brand even further beyond.
No, this is not a sellout. It’s not even a merge. What this is, in fact, is a local partnership. Plain and simple. And it’s a very cohesive partnership with another Michigan-based entrepreneur. With a vision for the future much like our Cops’.
His name is Achille “Ace” DiNello and he’s got a few ideas that’s gonna elevate our hometown brand to the next level. With a background in finance and logistics, he opened a pizzeria in Rochester, Michigan and his interests began compounding. One pizzeria became three pizzerias, followed by acquisitions such as Alinosi Ice Cream, Melting Moments and New York Style Pizza. Eventually, this momentum was punctuated by the purchase of the Halo Burger chain of restaurants. Which brings us to current conversations, and no, Cops’ isn’t another notch on Ace’s belt. It’s much more integrated, and our guys are very much involved.
“He’s a Michigan entrepreneur,” explains Greg “Ryno” Rynearson, President of C&D, who sees a lot of his younger self in this new player. “Self made. Just as we were. Just that he was a single guy doing it, where we were a group of cops.”
Halo Burger is one of the oldest burger joints around. Based out of Flint, it first opened in 1923 as Kewpee Hamburgers, a street cart. As it gained momentum with its first brick and mortar location downtown, more locations opened over the years. Mainly central to Genesee County. However, the covid pandemic collapsed business at the original location, to much community dismay. It was a historical jewel and we can all relate to that kind of loss.
However, that’s where Cops comes in, and this is where the word partnership shines. The vision is to reopen the location with Cops & Doughnuts on the menu. In return, Ace will repay the favor by using his resources to magnify the company even wider and ensure its overall longevity when our Cops can no longer cop.
Let’s face it. In order to keep things as unchanging as possible for what Clare has come to appreciate, we need to consider the reality. We need more kitchen space. We need more transporters. We need to collaborate and consider strategies like combination sites such as this.
DiNello will take over as majority owner, to ensure proper management and logistics going forward, which will make more substations a definite. However, Rynearson assures us that he and his fellow cops at the shop will continue to prioritize public relations and overall marketing.
“Right now there’s plenty of growth right here.” Greg states. “Because Halo Burger has been a Michigan burger for years and years. Cops & Doughnuts, Clare City Bakery has been here for 129 years (102 for Halo Burger), so they’re both just real feel-good. Born and raised, right here in Michigan”.
Our guys are getting older and it’s best to make these decisions while they’re still actively involved. Before a new chain of command eclipses the old. Then you miss out on a crucial opportunity and there’s no going back.
Honestly, as surprising as it is, I can’t fathom a better partner to enter the landscape. It’s a Michigan based enterprise that Ace is running and of course we want that authenticity for our hometown product. You don’t get that satisfaction with a chain like Mcdonalds or these obscure franchises that change the rules so much, you can’t even redeem promos half the time.
So many vultures could have descended from the future, but in the end we got a young Michigan man who cares about all things Michigan and wants to work closely with the community.
Did you know Halo Burger uses all local ingredients? They top their burgers with all hand cut ingredients straight off the block. Vernors, the Michigan brand ginger ale we all know and love, is a beverage standard at Halo. Figure in Koegel’s viennas, Flint-based coney sauce, and Wisconsin cheese curds, and you got something that seems agreeable enough for even the most skeptical Clare folk.
Both entities have nearly identical interests and backgrounds. It’s just a good shoe that fits. So instead of making hasty assumptions, we should trust these old boys to make the right decision about the future of something they very much love and treasure.
“It’s time to keep growing,” says Greg. “We’re going into our 17th year. I’m 62 years old, and it’s time to bring in a younger guy and he’s taking the reins. But we’re still all involved. We’re still the same Cops N Doughnuts.”
Greg assures the community that nothing is changing here in town and you can still expect to find him at the bakery’s round table every morning for coffee and free advice. Clare’s product will be relabeled as “original” and anything new going forward will have no choice but to respect that.
No Halo Burger in Clare is planned currently, but if it were to come to town in the future, it’s a safe bet it will be located on Hamburger Hill with the other burger menus.
More on this development to come.
