Metro Flint News/Talk Radio Signal

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BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

MT. MORIS TWP. (CCN) — Flushing chamber of Commerce officials conducted a ribbon cutting on Tuesday (Dec. 3, 2024) to welcome a new Pizza Hut to the neighborhood.

The Pizza Hut manager is Jasmine Higgs.

The Pizza Hut take-out restaurant is located next door to Jimmy John's restaurant in the new strip mall plaza on Pierson Road in Mt. Morris Township, just down from the Elms Road border line on the border with Flushing Township.

It's the third Pizza Hut now in Genesee County after another location recently opened in the City of Grand Blanc at 12793 S Saginaw Street. Fenton also has a location on Owen Road but the Davison location closed a few years ago along with 500 other Pizza Huts across the USA that have shut down since 2020, including 300 alone in the summer of 2023 when the Davison location was among the stores shuttered by the   Yum! Brands  chain that also owns Taco Bells and Kentucky Fried Chickens.

Pizza Hut had locations for many years on Davison Road on the east side of Flint, Grand Blanc Township at the corner of Hill Road and Fenton Road and on Miller Road in Flint Township.

They were long known for their all-you-can-eat buffets during lunch hours.

Pizza Huts took a hit, according to Wall Street analysts, because of a shift towards delivery and take-out leading to underperforming dine-in locations. There were also legal disputes with franchisees like EYM Group, and the need to focus on more profitable locations; resulting in closures of many larger, dine-in Pizza Hut restaurants that were not generating enough revenue compared, to delivery-focused outlets.

Like the Grand Blanc location, the new Pierson Road location will focus on take-out and delivery.

The Pizza Hut chain now has 6,775 locations across America and more than 10,000 more around the world.

Representing the Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce at the ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the new store Tuesday was Tobi Williams, Flushing's 2024 Citizen of the Year as owner of Gym for Her in Downtown Flushing.

Williams said, "We're so excited to have Pizza Hut back. They disappeared for a while."

On hand from the Pizza Hut chain to watch Higgs cut the ceremonial grand opening ribbon was John Ruiz who was introduced by Williams as the "Area Coach for Michigan Pizza Huts."

The latest Pizza Hut on Pierson Road marks the 137th now in Michigan.

Ruiz said Pierson Road Manager Higgs helped with recent grand openings to get stores going in Mount Pleasant about a year ago and during the last several months in Bay City and Lansing before taking the Manager role at the new Pierson Road store.

"She's been kind of all over Michigan and done a fantastic job for us," he added.

When asked by Williams why Pizza Hut chose Pierson Road, he said: "I can definitely say it's the people, that's for sure. A few short months ago, we put out some social media posts, asking about locations. This area was overwhelmingly responsive. And as you can see since we opened the doors, everybody here loves Pizza Hut."

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story at a ceremonial grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony by the Flushing Area Chamber of Commerce is Jasminie Higgs who is Manager of the new Pizza Hut location at Pierson Road and John Ruiz who is Area Coach for Michigan Pizza Huts.

BY GARY ANDERSON

CCN Staff Writer

GRAND BLANC (CCN) — A former Grand Blanc Township board Trustee and the long-time owner of Tomas Appliance has passed away.

Ken Thomas was 57. His death was announced via social media by his sister making a post on Facebook to deliver the sad news.

Thomas suffered a strong earlier this month.

Thomas was voted out of office in 2020 when financial troubles plagued his business on Saginaw Stree in Grand Blanc Township. It was the oldest appliance store in America and an original charter member of both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Flint Area Chamber of Commerce.

The store eventually closed and Thomas was sentenced to 30 days in jail in 2023 when many customers didn't get appliances or refunds.

Thomas blamed the troubles on what he described as a theft of more than $100,000 by an employee. He said insurance didn't cover the sum.

Thomas also served on the Board of Directors for the Flint Area Chamber of Commerce as well as many other non-profit organizations.

He was known as one of the top contributors to many charitable causes over the years through Thomas Appliance. 

His father's original store was in Downtown Flint until moving to the Grand Blanc location. He also added a Miller Road location in Flint Township that operated for many years.

Ken and brother Don ran the stores after their father passed away until Don's death in 2010 at age 54. Both were very active for many years in leadership roles with  Boy Scouts. Both men were also Eagle Scouts when they were younger.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Ken Thomas who passed away at age 57.

BY MELISSA MARTIN

CCN Staff Writer

FLINT (CCN) — Chris Poulous, long-time former operator of White Horse Tavern in Downtown Flint, has passed away.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Former long-time Genesee County Sheriff Joe Wilson said in a social media post on Facebook that he knew Poulous most of his life and said: "He was a great human being and a great person so sorry to hear of us passing Flint lost an institution with his passing."

Poulous and brother Steve operated their popular establishment until selling it last spring to end a 50-year run for their family as owners.

The White Horse Tavern is located at the corner of Ann Arbor Street and Court Street.

The Poulus brothers opened White Horse Tavern in 1972 and announced the sale via social media from a Facebook post, saying, “Chris and Steve would like to thank the entire Flint community for their patronage, loyalty and friendship over the past five decades. They’re proud to have served you.”

They were open for breakfast and lunch as well as serving dinners.

They sold their business to Tony Nuculaj and his nephew Giovanni Juncaj.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Chris Poulous who owned White Horse Tavern for man years with brother Steve Poulous.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

BURTON (CCN) — A long-time local businessman and city councilman has passed away in Burton. Tom Martinbianco, 72, owned and operated Martin's Hardware for many years and his more than 30 years of public service on the Burton City Council included several stints as President.

Martinbianco was also a member of he Greater Flint Sports Hall of Fame for leading the old Holy Redemer High School to a state championship in basketball during the 1970 season.

Funeral services will be held on Monday (Nov. 4, 2024) at Swartz Funeral Home on Hill Road in Mundy Township. Visitation will be at 11 am until the time of service at 1 pm.

An obituary for Martinbianco said his "love and respect for this community was unwavering, and spanned three decades, where he worked diligently to make Burton a welcoming and thriving place to live and raise a family."

He was elected to the Burton City Council in 1984 and served until 2023.

Martinbianco is survived by his mother, eight siblings, two children and eight grandchildren.

His hardware store was located at the corner of Belsay Road and Atherton Road in Burton until he retired and closed it a few years ago.

His brother still owns and operates another Martin's Hardware store on Genesee Road in Genesee Township.

Martinbianco's obituary also noted that he "could be seen running the spotlight for the singing Knights at their Cabaret. This inspired him to become an active member of the Knights of Columbus, 3rd Degree, and a singing Knight himself. He is also famous for his rendition of 

'New York, New York'. Lucky are those that can hear his voice when that song plays! His genuine mustached smile, his love for his family and his laughter will never be forgotten."

Martinbianco attended Blessed Sacrament School before graduating from Holy Redeemer in 1970.

 After high school, he worked diligently for the family business (Martin’s Hardware) while attending the University of Michigan-Flint to pursue a degree in business administration. He became a brother of the Phi Delta Tau fraternity in the 1971 spring pledge class.

He later took over the hardware store at the corner of Belsay Road and Atherton Road where his customers knew him as one always willing to lend a helpng hand.

 He married Joy Lewis and was blessed with two children — Karli and Matthew.

Martinbianco's grandchildren are Nick Mitchell, Nolan Mitchell, Ethan Martinbianco, Maddison Bourbeau, Lexi Ashley, Annastin Bourbeau, Sophia Ashley and Livi Ashley. He is also survived by mother Shirley Martinbianco, son-in-aw Bill Ashley, daugher-in-law Wendy Martinbianco and siblings, Mary Waugh (Bill), Joe Martinbianco, Patricia Stapish (Jack), Carol Newland (Mike), Ralph Martinbianco (Suzie), Gina Heffner (Steve), Dino Martinbianco (Julie) and Tina Whitney (Ted).

He was preceded in death by his father Harry Martinbianco and his brother Christopher Martinbianco.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Tom Martinbianco who passed away at age 72.

FLINT TWP. (CCN) — Flint Township has lost another Miller Road Restaurant. BD's Mongolian Grill has closed.

It's the third loss this year for township officials who have already seen Logan's Steakhouse and Telly's Restaurant close their doors after many years as popular spots on Miller Road, near Genesee Valley Mall, for customers all over the Metro Flint regional area to visit.

A number of restaurants have also closed at the Genesee Valley Mall as well as at the old Valley Restaurant at the corner of Miller Road and Miller Road moving to another location in Clayton Township before shutting its doors for good.

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 BD's Mongolian Grill in Dearborn closed earlier this year, too, after many decades in business there. Only two Michigan locations (Sterling Heights and Canton) remain open for the national chain that has two dozens restaurants in the USA.

 Initially established in 1992 as BD's Mongolian Barbecue and Grill, Billy Downs launched the chain in Michigan with his first location in Ferndale.

 In 2017, BD’s Mongolian Grill became a part of Dallas-based Mongolian Concepts with sister brands Genghis Grill and Flat Top Grill. 

Gregg Majewski, former CEO of Jimmy John’s, became the CEO of BD’s Mongolian Grill in 2021 and immediately began to expand BD’s offerings to include exclusive Chef-crafted Signature Stir-Fry bowls, improving the quality of fresh ingredients and even introducing new and unique flavors and sauces into the lineup. 

FLINT (CCN) — Ashley Capital has announced its first potential tenant at the old Buick City site in Flint. The Flint City Council gave Ashley Capital millions in cash financing and tax breaks to develop the former site of a General Motors manufacturing campus.

 WJRT ABC TV 12 revealed the news, according to a statement by Kevin Hegg who is Vice President of Ashley Capital. He said a contract is expected to be signed soon with a packaging supply business that supports GM plants in the regional area.

"Victory Packaging specializes in very specific high-end design, including engineering for specialized packaging and for this particular case, auto parts that would service the GM plants in and around Flint," Hegg told ABC TV 12 in its report, saying he believes October is when operations will begin at the old Buick City site.

 "It's not your typical box-manufactured facility," Hegg added. "This is specialized; It will have design teams on site, as well as other light manufacturing operations and employees."

Hegg said Victory Packaging is expected to enter into a five-year contract in a building Ashley has had completed for six months. Victory Packaging is an affiliate of a larger company called West Rock.

Hegg told ABC TV 12 that he expects more announcements are coming, saying, "We've had a good level of activity. We continue to talk with other prospects, and we continue to plan for other buildings." He said companies specializing in possible Green Energy initiatives may be next. 

MUNDY TWP. (CCN) — Since the late May announcement by Mundy Township Manager Chad Young, excitement has been building about a potential Cotsco store coming to Hill Road, near the U.S. 23 Expressway. Signs went up this past weekend to signal that the idea is happening.

MLive / The Flint Journal was unable to confirm anything from Cotsco after news broke in public about the potential development in late May at a meeting of the Mundy Township Board of Trustees.

Young said at the time: “I think the single cliche phrase you can use is ‘excitement’ but from the township perspective and the county as a whole, the bigger picture here is it represents really a lot of hard work and planning that’s gone into years of staff and board dedication from the township to see Hill Road flourish,. We are the definition of a mixed-use community. We’re approximately 35 square miles, and our historic legacy is agricultural and residential. Hill Road is our commercial heart. It’s our commercial corridor. It’s where we want to really see the bulk of our commercial investment to provide the amenities for our residents, but also keep them concentrated and protect those other uses. So, being able to have what is the definition of a business community partner like Costco that’s a nationally recognized brand for all the right reasons come to and anchor that Hill Road corridor from a commercial perspective really ensures that we’re benefiting from the best of all worlds.”

Young announced then also that an  application for a planned development project between Costco and LaFontaine Auto Group was received by the township officials in late March to facilitate the construction of a future wholesale store location with two proposed dealerships. Cotsco's wholesale store was proposed for a 30-acre to 35-acre portion of property owned by LaFontaine on a 120-acre site. Ford and Lincoln dealerships would serve as the face of the property nearest to Hill Road on the north side. Costco would be positioned on U.S. 23 frontage as part of a business park that will eventually include other projects, according to LaFontaine's application.

Cotsco is a world-wide company. There are 591 wholesale stores across the USA with 134 warehouses in California. Canada has 107 more stores while there are 40 in Mexico and 121 more in 11 other countries. 

The chain of membership-only warehouse clubs sells a wide variety of brand-name products at lower prices than traditional retailers. Costco is known for selling products in bulk packaging with larger quantities 

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is a sign that went up this past weekend to signal a Cotso wholesale store is coming to Mundy Township on Hill Road near U.S. 23.

MT. MORRIS TWP. (CCN) — Enzo's Pizzeria has added its fourth Genesee County location on Pierson Road, near the Flushing Township border line at Elms Road.

The Mt. Morris Township location will join Enzo's stores in Grand Blanc, Davison and Fenton.

A statement on a web site for Enzo's proclaims: "Whether you're going out to lunch after church or planning a family movie night, Enzo's Pizzeria would love to be part of your special day... (Our restaurants offer) classic menu items like cheese pizza, breadsticks and cream cheese dip. Plus, with curbside pick-up, you can grab a slice in a way that's most convenient for you."

The Mt. Morris locations went into a space in a strip mall formerly occupied by Marco's Pizza which closed last month.

DAVISON (CCN) — Senor Lucky's has closed its doors in Davison after 30 years as a favorite Mexican restaurant for many across the Metro Flint regional area.

A sign on the door of the location reads: “Thank you for 30 plus years of being a valued customer. As of June 30th, 2024 I’m retiring and our doors will be closed. I appreciate all of our valued customers over the years.”

Senor Lucky’s was at 840 S. State Road within Davison's city limits  — conveniently located near the I-69 Expressway exit.

BURTON (CCN) — A long-time fixture in the Burton business community is back open after a short absence.  Delta Tire & Auto Repair re-opened this week at G-3476 Saginaw Street.

MLive reported that the business filed for Chapter 11 re-organization in federal bankruptcy court on June 29 of last year and abruptly closed last month after the Chapter 11 was converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation of assets to pay off creditors.

 Court filings showed that Delta Tire had assets valued between $100,000 and $500,000 with liabilities between $500,000 to $1 million.

MLive had reported that the establishment was going out of business but Deta Tire re-opened this week just as abruptly as it had closed.

A social media post on Facebook by the business said: “WE ARE BACK OPEN!!!  If you need TIRES or AUTO REPAIR, we hope you choose our family and we hope to welcome you to the Delta Tire Auto Repair family. We do kindly ask that you do not park immediately at this corner.  It has been voiced that it makes it difficult to see oncoming traffic, so out of respect and safety for the locals, our family, please find alternative parking.  We have a large lot found directly behind the building.  We also own the house directly behind the building, so we would rather you park along the grass there if necessary than any hazard be created. We love and appreciate all of you. Our family cannot thank the community who rallied behind us.  We have been here for 50 years supporting the community and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.” 

GRAND BLANC (CCN) — Chicken Shack has announced a new location coming to Downtown Grand Blanc. It’s the first location outside the Metro Detroit area for the iconic chain and joins the Clarkston location on Sashabaw Road as the only ones in The Daily Gazette coverage area. 

A social media post by the Detroit-based corporation today (June 25, 2024) revealed: “Exciting news! We're thrilled to announce the opening of our 24th location next month in Grand Blanc at 11355 S. Saginaw Street! Stay tuned for the exact opening date.”

 The post added: “If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the newest Shack crew, send us a message!”  The e-mail address is: ChickenShackofGrandBlanc@gmail.com 

 You can contact the Grand Blanc location by calling (810) 603-7468.  You can visit Chicken Shack’s Web Site by clicking Here.  

The company web site says Chicken Shack is delivered fresh daily because “fresh food is better than fast food” and proclaims that their cooking process and proprietary recipes have been passed down through the generations.  Chicken Shack made its debut in the late 1950’s.

The first store was born shortly after John Sobeck first experienced a totally new process of preparing and cooking chicken. The second he tasted it, he knew he could make something with this new technology. On June 6, 1956, after only 41 days of construction, he and wife Iola opened their first Chicken Shack in Royal Oak.

Their customers craved the food so much that the Sobecks couldn’t keep up with demand and had to purchase more equipment just to handle their expanding business! 

Over 60 years later, and four generations strong, the Sobeck family is still working hard to serve to its fans the best tasting food in America and continue John and Iola’s legacy of bringing people together one plate at a time.

Besides two Royal Oak locations at 11 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, other Chicken Shacks are on Mack Avenue in Detroit Schoenherr Road in Warren, 11 Mile Road in Warren, 23 Mike Road in New Baltimore, Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe, Harper Road in St. Clair Shores, Dixie Hwy. in Lincoln Park, VanDyke in Sterling Heights, Warren Road in Westland, Romeo Plank Road in Macomb Township, University Drive in Rochester, 14 Mile Road in Clawson, Northwestern Hwy in Southfield, Seven Mile Road in Livonia, Fort St Riverview Road in Riverview, Garfield Road in Clinton Township, VanDyke Road in Shelby Township, Gilbraltor Road in Brownstown, Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Township and Ellsworth Road in Ypsilanti.

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