Clare, Michigan (population 3,118) is one of those picture perfect Normal Rockwell kind of towns, but like any number of towns large and small across the U.S., it has fallen on tough economic times. So tough, that in 2009 with 5 downtown storefronts already closed down, a sixth was poised to follow - The 1896 Clare City Bakery. That is until a thin blue line stepped in and said "not our doughnut shop".
The original bakery had indeed been selling it's delicious made from scratch delights since 1896 in what is the town's third oldest building and were preparing to shutter the store after 113 years in business. That is when a group of the shop's most loyal customers stepped in to save it, the town's police force. All nine of the police officers in Clare pooled their money, wrote their first business plan - on the back of a pizza box no less - and took the plunge. It took no time at all to agree to a name change.
The entire police force of Clare, Michigan who pooled their money and bought the town's failing bakery.
In preparation for their grand opening, one of the officers distributed news releases which the Associated Press picked up for one of their "offbeat" news stories. Before long though the appeal was growing as Fox News, CNN and Good Morning America were doing pieces on them.
Embracing the stereotype and having fun with it, the bakery offers a cinnamon twist named the Night Stick, a lemon-filled pastry called the Taser and a maple frosted long john topped with two strips of crispy bacon dubbed the Squealer. Their best seller is the Felony Fritter - a fried apple pastry as big as the plate it is served on.
Then there is their private coffee blend called
Cop's Coffee which features the
Morning Shift, a medium roast blend;
Midnight Shift, a dark French roast; and the
Off Duty which is decaffeinated. This coffee collection has become so popular that they're shipping orders off to retailers and restaurants.
Enthused by their initial success, the group soon purchased the vacant store front next door for extra seating which they named the "Cop Shop". The walls are decorated with police department patches from across the country as well as their own line of merchandise. Patrons can buy mugs or t-shirts with slogans like "Don't Glaze Me Bro", "DWI - Donuts Were Involved", "You Have the Right to Remain Glazed" and "Handcuffs and Cream Puffs". Customers can also have their mug shots taken with a dry erase board listing their supposed crime.
Last year these cop entrepreneurs bought another empty storefront located on the other side of their bakery and kicked off the Traffic Stop Diner. Just as with the bakery the menu uses law enforcement themed items. You can find the Sticky Situation, the Misdemeanor Wiener, the "Copp" Salad Sandwich, Smokin' Pulled Pork, Electric Chair Fries, 12-Gauge Slugs (sweet potato bites rolled in cinnamon-sugar), and the Stake-Out.
These cops, who figured they would simply break even in this business venture, have opened another "precinct" in nearby Harrison (population 2,108) that sells baked goods from their Clare store. Last year they had over 300,000 customers come through their doors and in 2011 the group was awarded Michigan Municipal League’s Community Excellence Award. What an outstanding example of how one small group of individuals can make such a positive economic impact on their community. Not bad for a business plan scrawled on the top of a pizza box.
Another group making a difference is the
Team 26 riders and support crew of the
Sandy Hook Ride on Washington which kicked off yesterday as the riders left Newtown for the Nation's capitol. In this photo posted on their
Facebook Page, shows the riders leaving Newtown, CT yesterday morning.
Another group making a difference are some talented and dedicated kossacks who are covering this historic ride in a blog-a-thon which began yesterday. Here is their schedule covering the entire ride. Please support them with your tips, recs, tweets and social media shares.
Saturday 3/9
tytalus ~ Morning kick-off 5:30am EST
LilithGardener ~ "Meet the Crew"
Glen The Plumber ~ Evening Wrap-up
Sunday 3/10
Dave in Northridge ~ 8:30am EDT
LilithGardener ~ "Meet the Riders" 2pm EDT
DefendOurConstitution ~ Evening
Monday 3/11
LilithGardener ~ "Meet the Riders" 2pm EDT
TBD ~ Evening
Tuesday 3/12
Hey338Too ~ Morning
LilithGardener ~ "Meet the Riders" 2pm EDT
remembrance ~ Evening
Also:
glorificus
times to be determined