Local Business News caught up with Lindsay Kennedy, owner of Dolcetto Cheese & Specialty Goods in downtown Farmington (formerly, The Cheese Lady) since September 2022. Kennedy spoke about her “food is life” philosophy, her new artists’ lines and wines, wine and cheese tastings, and why you can now purchase alligator tail at Dolcetto.
Seeing 2020: Business Cheerleader’s Advice for Success in New Year
BY PAMELA A. ZINKOSKY
Farmington
While Hammond calls her blog Pep Talk, she’s by no means just a pompom-brandishing cheerleader. She was a badge-and-gun-carrying police officer for 10 years. She spent 21 years working for the government, the last part of that service conducting equal employment opportunity investigations.
FOUNDER, FROM LAUNCH TO ASCENT
In 2014, both her brother and sister, neither of them yet 40, died. In addition, she and her husband mourned the passing that year of 24 other people they knew. It was a tragic year that ended with a “moment of clarity,” she said.
On Nov. 29, 2014 — yes, she recalls the exact date — she had a dream that featured the Ascent logo in its blue and gold colors and the “Small Business Cheerleader” tagline. “It was one of those dreams I didn’t forget,” she said.
Not much later, she took a test at work to find her “dream job,” which came up as either in public affairs — her husband’s field — or as a small-business promoter. “I said, ‘What’s a small business promoter?’ ” she said with a laugh.
Hammond ran Ascent out of her home from January 2015 through March 2017 while still working for the government. In 2018, she retired, going full-time with Ascent in March of that year. That’s when she opened her office, an appointment-only consulting space that includes a meeting room for clients and an area for in-person training sessions.
Positive sayings adorn the walls of her office, which features a flat-screen television, plus a small treadmill and a stair-stepper, so she can get in some exercise while conducting calls or catching the news.
Adjacent to her office sits her husband’s photography and videography company. Hammond sometimes borrows his equipment to record videos or snap photos for her business’ social media pages. Before her interview with Local Business News, she posted a video saying she was praying for clarity in conveying her message — an idea that’s relevant for all business owners.
In other words, don’t give up.
Ascent Small Business Promotion LLC is available by appointment only.
Farmington Flower Shop Has 19th-Century Roots
Farmington
Step inside the more than 150-year-old structure, whose rooms sit underneath Power Road, as owner Rick Hatfield points out, and it feels like not much has changed. Fieldstone walls hearken back to what Hatfield said is a circa 1832 foundation, with century-old greenhouses around back.
“She was born and raised on this property,” Hatfield. “This is the last parcel of the original land.”
Hatfield is the youngest of three brothers whose family has owned the business since 1959. One brother retired, the other is semi-retired, and he’s in charge now.
Hatfield was an adolescent when his family purchased the shop, but he remembers when Farmington was more rural than suburban and when the Ely farm, once bounded by Shiawassee and 10 Mile roads, and east-west by Farmington and Orchard Lake roads, was divided and sold to the Catholic church across the street and to Bellaire Subdivision’s builders.
“I could tell you so many stories,” Hatfield said. “People say we should write a book.”
He also tells of Mrs. Bicking, who provided food for the American Indians living in what is today known as Orchard Lake Village. She had moved into the small house just south of the shop, which is still there today, and would put food in a basket outside, knowing they were too proud to beg but nevertheless hungry.
These stories have been passed on through the generations, but Hatfield has also seen many changes firsthand. For example, he’s seen one change in the florist industry that he’s happy with.
However, big-box stores have also gotten into the flower business, leaving small flower shops struggling, he said. In the early 1990s, Springbrook was one of the top 20 florists in the country. Now, Kroger is the top flower seller, he said.
Diversification and quality
Springbrook, named for Springbrook Place, which is what the land became known as after it was the Ely farm, does its share of cash-and-carry arrangements, wire-service sales, seasonal home decorating, and funeral and wedding floral services, said Hatfield. “We’re an old-time shop that does everything.”
But traditional floral services aren’t enough anymore. Most florist shops, even many local ones owned by people who worked for Springbrook “back in the day,” have diversified heavily into the giftware business, but not Springbrook, Hatfield said.
“Our specialty is cut flowers and plants,” he said. “We do it, and we do it right.”
Faced with the need to supplement flower sales, Springbrook diversified into growing plants and selling at markets, he said. The shop uses the greenhouses to “grow on,” or finish growing plants started elsewhere, and to house an array of perennials and cut flowers sold both in the store and at five different warm-weather markets.
The shop has a reputation for high-quality plants and flowers and for horticultural knowledge, Hatfield said. Customers ask questions about plants all the time because they know Springbrook’s expertise, he said.
What’s more, said Hatfield, “People know our quality.” Products that aren’t up to Hatfield’s standards simply aren’t sold, he said. “If I don’t want it, you aren’t gonna get it,” unless you take it for free, he added.
Back in the 1970s, the Hatfields made some changes to the barn that houses their business. They moved the entrance to the north end of the shop, so that customers would enter above ground and step down into the main showroom. It used to sit on the south end, closest to Shiawassee Street, and customers would enter into what is now the consultation area.
The Hatfields also raised the ceiling of what is now the main showroom and work area, as it used to sit low, like what you might see in a Michigan basement. They kept the shop’s basic footprint and look, hiring an old-time mason to restore one of the stone walls, which was deteriorating. They brought the building up to code without modernizing it, and, Hatfield added, without adding any heat, as the underground shop stays fairly warm without it.
Stepping into the shop does feel a bit like stepping back in time, not only because of the way it looks, but because of its old-fashioned values.
“We’ve made a lot of friends over the years,” said Hatfield. “People have gotten to know us as ‘the brothers’ or ‘the flower guys.’ ”
Customers trust Springbrook to supply arrangements for many important life events — the death of a loved one, a wedding, an illness, perhaps even a first date — and Hatfield and his six employees appreciate that, he said. “They’re not just customers. You build a relationship with people. We treat them like family.”
At 73, Hatfield still works in the shop daily and in the seasonal markets, and he’ll continue as long as he’s able, he said. Best of all, though, “This place will probably be standing long after you and I are gone,” he said.
Springbrook Gardens Florist is a monument to a time when farms dotted the landscape, but it’s also evidence that old-fashioned family businesses can survive in modern times.
Springbrook Gardens is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
All-Things-Cheese Shop Has a Small-Town Feel
“I went there a few times and just loved it — a place where you could go and taste all these cheeses,” she said. “One time when I was there, I said to the owner, ‘We really need one of these on our side of the state.'”
The Cheese Lady, originally founded in 2004 by Kathleen Fagan Riegler in Muskegon, now has six locations around Michigan and one more opening soon in St. Joseph. There’s the original Muskegon store plus stores in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Farmington and Rochester.
Each store is focused on cheese, with specials each month plus whatever other cheeses, accompaniments and gifts the owner decides to carry. Each owner is free to set business hours. Farmington is the only location open on Sundays, for example.
In keeping with the business name, all stores are owned by women. The owners get together regularly to share ideas and enjoy each other’s company, said Mantey. “We call ourselves the Sisterhood of Cheese,” she said.
The Cheese Lady in Farmington carries some 170 cheeses from around the world, said Mantey, noting that about 80 percent of the cheese-board listings stay the same and 20 percent are seasonal or other special offerings. Favorites include Cotswold, a young cheddar with chives and onions; Midnight Moon, a goat cheese that’s made in Holland and has a nutty, buttery flavor; and Chevre, a French goat cheese.
Unique cheese offerings carried only at The Cheese Lady in Farmington and at the Michigan State University dairy store are MSU cheeses made at the campus dairy plant, said Mantey. Another unique offering is cheese made at the Traffic Jam & Snug restaurant in Detroit.
Right now, The Cheese Lady in Farmington is offering Alps cheeses, made the old-fashioned way with milk from cows that graze on grass as they travel up the Alps Mountains. “It’s about as pure and natural as you can get,” said Mantey. The Alps cheeses are only available this time of year, and they’re very popular, she said.
Special diets
You wouldn’t expect to find someone who’s lactose intolerant working at The Cheese Lady, but Joni Hubred, a local journalist, is one of the store’s “cheesemongers,” as Mantey calls them, and is lactose intolerant. However, she can eat aged cheeses, as the lactose breaks down after a year of aging. Hubred’s become a sort of cheese ambassador, bringing lactose-intolerant cheese-lovers together with the varieties they can eat, Mantey said. “We’ve changed people’s lives,” she said.
The Cheese Lady also caters to vegans. The shop offers Violife, a Greek cheese made from potato starch and coconut oil. The beauty of this non-nut-based cheese: “It melts like real cheese,” said Mantey. Varieties include feta, cheddar, provolone and even cream cheese.
There are also vegetarian-friendly cheeses that don’t contain rennet, an enzyme that’s found in the lining of a goat or calf’s stomach and helps milk separate into solid curds. All of these are marked on the board with a “v” for vegetarian-friendly, said Mantey.
Special events
The Cheese Lady hosts private parties upon request, and also offers classes. Cheese 101 teaches participants all about cheeses and offers tastings. The wine and cheese nights are more popular, featuring four different wines with one or two cheese pairings each.
Weekly events include the Wednesday grilled cheese day, when the shop offers $7 sandwiches, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., that feature its cheeses on Old World bread from downtown Farmington’s Sunflour Bakehaus, which also is available in the store.
On Fridays, The Cheese Lady makes macaroni and cheese for customers at lunch time, offering it for $4 for a small portion and $7 for a large. The flavors are posted on Thursday evenings or Friday mornings.
The Cheese Lady also offers hand-selected wines — some made in Michigan and others European — as well as Michigan craft beers, plus a cheese monger beer expert to help with those selections. There’s even a cheese and wine club. For a nominal fee, customers can get 12 percent off their total purchase when they buy the featured monthly wine and cheese.
Other offerings include cheese boards, locally crafted pottery, baskets, imported linens, locally made jams, and crackers and meats.
Gift baskets are popular for the holidays, said Mantey, and The Cheese Lady will make them, or customers can put them together themselves, with cheese selections, wine, beer, gifts and more.
Cheese and meat trays also sell well for the holidays. Customers can put them together themselves using the offerings in the store, or The Cheese Lady will make them.
Gift cards are also available for purchase, both in the store and online.
The Cheese Lady is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays.
33041 Grand River Ave, Farmington, MI 48336
248.957.9581
Detroit Eatz Builds New Fast Food Concept in Farmington
Yes, you read that right. You can pull up to the drive-thru and order a spiral ham. You may have to wait 10 minutes or so, but you’ll know how long your wait is based on the red, green or yellow light you see next to the items you order.
The “escape lane” in the Detroit Eatz drive-thru, which enables drivers to go around those waiting a bit longer for something designated with a red light, was actually part of Schonsheck’s Burger King drive-thru when he operated the restaurant. He installed a door at the back of the building as well as another drive-thru lane to expedite service.
“You have to update the customer,” she said. “The second you pull in the drive-thru, you know what to expect.”
As a mom of 21-month-old twins, Bruso understands the need for convenience in restaurant pick-ups, especially when the weather is bad. “Basically, we’re going to offer every option to make it convenient,” she said. That means Detroit Eatz will have an online ordering system and a “fast pickup shelf” where customers can simply take what they’ve already ordered and paid for. The restaurant will also offer curbside pickup and, eventually, delivery.
The menu is still being finalized, but the basics are burgers, chicken sandwiches and hand-breaded chicken tenders, fresh cut fries and, of course, Dearborn Brand lunchmeat, spiral hams and deli sandwiches. Everything will be freshly made with “nothing from a box,” said Bruso, noting this may lead to a bit longer wait times than, say, Burger King, but the TLC system will keep customers apprised of wait times.
The Dearborn Brand partnership will be a great driver in the Dreli’s success, said Bruso. “Everybody knows the quality,” she said, and having it available from the drive-thru makes it that much more convenient.
The restaurant will also carry an Impossible Burger for non-meat eaters. “I don’t eat mammals,” said Bruso, “so that’s important to me.”
As if the menu wasn’t diverse enough already, Detroit Eatz will also carry Better Made potato chips and other Michigan-made products, plus a grab-and-go case with premade sandwiches, lunchmeat and other ready-made items.
Bruso and her husband Scott have put a great deal of resources into Detroit Eatz. The only salvaged items from the Burger King were three fryers. They gutted the dining room and kitchen, Bruso said, hiring a designer to set the decor and purchasing top-of-the-line equipment. “We about tripled our investment in this property,” she said.
That said, the 44-seat restaurant exemplifies Bruso’s father’s innovative fast food ideas, and she expects it to be very successful. “With this concept, you can’t lose,” she said.
If Detroit Eatz takes off, the Brusos may open other locations, or they may expand their innovative ideas by selling the TLC and Dreli ideas to other restaurateurs, she said.
Detroit Eatz will be open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The Rolling Stoves Traveling Burger Food Truck Parks in Farmington
“We had no intention of ever opening a restaurant,” said Carli, “But people were asking.”
In response to inquiries, the Mansfields began scouting out locations in Farmington, their home town. “We couldn’t imagine opening anywhere else but Farmington,” Carli said, adding that they wanted to contribute to the local business scene, hire local workers and enjoy the convenience of a short commute while they care for their young children.
After much investigation and negotiation, the couple landed the spot next to Dunkin’ Donuts on Farmington Road north of Eight Mile, just around the corner from the Farmington Meadows neighborhood where they live. The storefront has been vacant since the donut shop took over the former Big Boy in 2016, leaving the south end of the renovated space open for a tenant.
Parked in Farmington
Set to open Sept. 23 after a longer-than-anticipated renovation process, The Rolling Stoves restaurant will offer 62 seats plus seasonal outdoor seating. It’s not exactly fast food, but it’s not full-service either, said Carli. “It’s fast casual for sure.”
The menu includes all the popular burgers and fries The Rolling Stoves is known for, plus chicken strips, two salads and a kids’ menu with three simple choices.
“Our simple menu is perfect,” said Carli. “Each burger is the best it can be.” The result is a dining experience that isn’t overwhelming but includes enough choices for everyone to enjoy.
“Our most popular one is our peanut butter burger,” Carli said. “It’s peanut butter, honey, pickles, bacon and caramelized onions. Somehow it just works.”
The peanut butter and bacon burger came from a cooking competition in Josh’s culinary-oriented family, explained Carli. It’s not identical to the original burger entry, as it’s evolved, but the Mansfields find that even those who are skeptical like the burger.
“It adds a little bit of pizzazz to our menu,” Carli said.
“Our garlic fries are crazy good,” Carli said. “We sell a ton at office parties because once one person gets an order, the smell makes everyone want them.”
Four other burgers, including a vegetarian black bean burger, are on the menu, plus a burger flight − an $18 option that enables customers to choose three different full-size burgers. Carli explained that the burger flight not only fills a desire to share with a friend and try everything − something she and Josh understand as restaurant-goers − but allows customers to try the peanut butter and bacon burger with a fall-back option in case they don’t like it. But they usually do, she said.
The Mansfields also plan to offer a burger of the month that displays their creative cooking flair − something new and different to try − as well as a yet-to-be-developed gluten-free burger. Delivery service is also on the list for future offerings, as they see carryouts as a big portion of their business.
A dream come true
With the opening date finally set, 15 employees in place to work and just the final touches to put on the restaurant, the Mansfields are eager to get started. Carli said that while she and Josh didn’t plan on turning The Rolling Stoves into a stationary restaurant, operating a restaurant is the dream that took her to culinary school.
“It’s been a childhood dream of mine to open a restaurant,” she said. “We’re ready. We want to get going doing what we do best.”
The Rolling Stoves food truck and catering business will slow down for the winter, and the Mansfields will play it by ear next year, Carli said. She and Josh are excited about their foray into the restaurant scene, especially in their home town.
“Farmington’s an awesome city, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” she said. “We’ve had great support.”
The couple plans to add Sunday cooking classes as a community outreach in the near future.
Carli offered a hint on what might be next for the couple, once The Rolling Stoves gets off the ground. “We want to open more restaurants in Farmington. We have so many ideas.”
The Rolling Stoves will open Sept. 23, with hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
20780 Farmington Road
Farmington, MI 48336
(248) 943-8537
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