CLARE — “There’s a lot of growth here in Michigan that we can do. It may go bigger; you may see franchises available soon,” said Cops and Doughnuts co-owner Gregory (Ryno) Rynearson.
Cops and Donuts in Clare has been in business for the past 17 years — expanding to several locations across the state.
But there’s new leadership now at the longtime cop run and owned business.
Cops and Doughnuts in Clare opened 17 years ago when nine police officers stepped in to save the Clare City Bakery from closing down.
After nearly two decades of running a successful local doughnut shop, owner Greg ‘Ryno’ Rynearson said it’s time to take a back seat.
That’s why they’re teaming up with Michigan-based fast food restaurant Halo Burger and CEO Achille “Ace” DiNello.
“We’ve accomplished everything over those 17 years that I’ve envisioned, it was just time to go to the next level. In order for that to happen, we had to partner with somebody. So, we partnered with Ace, and he’s got the vision that I do,” said Ryno. “He’s going to open more Cops and Doughnuts. He happens to be the owner of Halo Burgers also; he recently purchased that. ”
Ryno said he and others will still have roles within the business that’s become known around the world.
“The nine of us, after 17 years, get to slow down a little bit. We’re going to be the PR and marketing as well as minority owners,” said Ryno. “Ace is going to be the primary owner; he’s a Michigan entrepreneur, and we did not sell out to big corporate America. We’re still going to be greeting the tour buses that come in.”
Nearly every aspect of Cops and Donuts, from the current employees to the current recipes, is expected to stay the same.
“When he took over, which was last Friday, all employees stayed on, everybody is still here,” said Ryno. “You may see us tweak some things. You know, some things don’t move as well as they used to. But we’ve always done that in the seventeen years we’ve been here.”