Center Line, MI — To this day, one of my all-time favorite foodie adventures is one that didn’t actually focus on or revolve around food. When I shared the story of a great partnership between Rising Stars Academy and Detroit Wing Company just a little over a year ago, it reminded me of my passion for storytelling, especially when sharing positive and uplifting things happening within our communities. So, when I was contacted by a Rising Stars Academy Foundation representative regarding two new expansion endeavors, I couldn’t wait to embark on another adventure!
The founders of Rising Stars Academy (RSA), Mark and Debbie Prentiss, were some of the kindest and most impassioned folks I’ve ever interviewed. According to Mark, the mission of the RSA is to provide a place of inclusivity for intellectually and developmentally disabled young adults to develop the skills necessary to participate at their fullest potential in their communities. The academy partners with dozens of local community businesses and restaurants throughout Metro Detroit to help foster independence, skill development, and employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities.
Late in 2023, the Detroit Wing Company (DWC) gifted ownership of its Roseville location to Rising Stars Academy, allowing the school to weave in its students with the DWC staff in Roseville for hands-on learning in the workplace. This front and back of house exposure provides a range of work and social experience for the students, which they can use throughout life and in future jobs.
Now, students are getting even more opportunities with the RSA’s latest expansion projects. On March 6th, the RSA opened a new spot in Ferndale for their Gather + Grounds coffee house, in addition to their locations in Center Line and Richmond. The RSA’s coffee house initiative is about a lot more than just coffee; it quickly became a sensation for its drinks, pastries, and welcoming atmosphere after launching its first location in Center Line in 2023. The overwhelming support led to the opening of Gather + Grounds North in Richmond, and now the third location in Ferndale, located within Treat Dreams along Woodward Avenue just north of 9 Mile Road.
Within the same month, Rising Stars Academy navigated another major acquisition — one that continues the legacy of a beloved restaurant in Center Line and honors the life and memory of a dedicated teacher from Warren. I was fortunate enough to be invited to Haney’s Restaurant in Center Line to meet with (now retired) owner Russ Haney on his last day and RSA leadership for this story.
I spotted “The Oasis of Center Line” on Van Dyke Avenue just south of 10 Mile the second I turned right and headed south. Haney’s certainly has a presence to it, even from the roadway. It’s a surprisingly lengthy and open-windowed establishment with a centered, covered entrance flanked by parking lots on either side of the building. I sat down with Mark, Debbie, and other members from RSA and Haney’s at a table in the back corner. We collectively placed a lunch order and caught up for a bit before I ventured off to capture my video and photo elements for this adventure.
After we ate our respective hearty breakfasts (I went with the Haney’s Choice Breakfast with French toast), I set up my gear and began interviewing Mark Prentiss and Russ Haney, who stopped by our table after we finished our meal. I started by asking Mark what led to the initial discussions of the RSA Foundation purchasing Haney’s Family Restaurant.
“Myself and Russ Haney are on the DDA (Downtown Development Authority) board for Center Line. We just had a conversation one day, you know, because we’re restaurant people. And then we met for a long period of time. We spent hours and hours and hours vetting each other out, but we just struck up a very good conversation about our methodology in the restaurant business, people, quality of food, loyalty, all those kinds of things. And our mission both matched together,” Mark said.
Mark emphasized as conversations continued, it was essential that both parties felt that the RSA Foundation was the appropriate fit to take over Haney’s Restaurant. An integral part of the Prentiss approach is always to retain the staff. Like when the RSA took over Detroit Wing Company’s Roseville location, Mark said they didn’t dismiss any of the original staff because they would never tear apart a restaurant’s family. So, as discussions advanced for several months towards purchasing Haney’s, Russ came by the school and met some of the students and saw some of the work they do.
“Every conversation we had was talking about his staff, our staff. What were we going to do with the legacy that his family started, and that’s when we started picking up traction. You know, we took a long time, which I was grateful for, but we both understood the reasons why we wanted to take over Haney’s, and that’s where we landed today,” Mark stated.
Russ and the Haney family have owned the establishment since 1972. The restaurant was originally a Howard Johnson’s when Russ’s father (who worked there at the time) took over operations. Howard Johnson’s was, at one point, the largest restaurant chain in America in the 60s and 70s before eventually being overshadowed by McDonald’s. The roadside breakfast chain began to struggle before being bought by Marriott in the 80s, which started to sell off locations over time, eventually leading to the very last Howard Johnson’s closing in 2022.
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Russ’s father ran operations in Center Line until he passed away in 1983, passing along ownership to Russ and his brother Vernon. Russ said he and his brother ran a small franchise of Howard Johnsons for a couple of years before eventually selling the other establishments. Afterward, Vernon moved to Florida while Russ stayed and decided to build a new legacy with the family business, which would become Haney’s Family Restaurant.
“I started here when I was 14 years old as a busboy for my dad. And I worked at our Howard Johnson’s in Southfield for 7 or 8 years of my life. Other than that, I’ve been right here, and this is all I know. And I love it here; Center Line has been a wonderful community. I love the people, I love the city; the employees are great, and the customers are great. And, it provided my wife and I with a good life,” Russ explained.
Russ reflected on Haney’s decades of history, witnessing couples get married and start families, seeing those children grow up and eventually bring in their children, and so on. I could tell Russ was very passionate about his restaurant and the importance it holds for not only himself and his staff but also for the patrons and families who frequent its tables.
Russ said that while he was excited about retirement and the beginning of a new chapter of his life, it was still a difficult decision to leave Haney’s and his beloved staff, whom he calls his “second family.” However, knowing that Mark and Debbie plan to keep every employee and the operation going makes him very happy.
“I’m very pleased that Haney’s is still going to serve Center Line, the community of Center Line, and the surrounding area of Warren. As far as people come from Port Huron for our clams, and from Florida when they come back to visit, they come in for the clams because of the history. That’s the important thing to me is the history, where we’ve been, where we are — and it’s still a pretty darn good restaurant! So I’m very pleased about that.”
Before the T’s were crossed and the I’s dotted on the sale, Mark and Debbie were dauntingly crunching the numbers for such an acquisition alongside another expansion project. But then, Mark received an unexpected phone call. Mark was informed that Matilda “Tilly” Vranovich, a cherished teacher who had spent 43 years shaping the lives of students with special needs for Warren Consolidated Schools, had passed away.
Her last wish was one of unparalleled generosity — she left her entire estate to Rising Stars Academy. Inspired by this selfless act and taking it as a sign, Mark moved forward with purchasing Haney’s Family Restaurant so that Tilly’s legacy would live on, not just in memory, but in action. Mark and Tilly’s friend, Karen, the executor of the estate, also donated Tilly’s collection of children’s books to Livonia Public Schools and donated to veterans’ causes.
With the passing of the torch finalized, Russ was able to begin planning for retirement, and Mark and Debbie began determining the next steps for the RSA to lead Haney’s and eventually integrate their students over time. I rounded out the interview by asking Mark what he hopes the students will learn and experience by working at Haney’s.
“Well, I think the whole experience is, and it’s not necessarily about the work skills; it’s about the social, emotional skills. It’s about all those things that, you know, people in restaurants have been beaten up for a long time, and sometimes our self-esteem or how we look at ourselves is sometimes not very positive, but what I’m hoping that the students get out of this is working with the staff, and some of the staff have been here for 34 years, which is unheard of, but they continue to build that self-esteem and those goals,” Mark explained.
“To have somebody else that wants to teach them and be part of their life instead of just, they’re not good enough, right? That’s my hope. And my dream is that they blossom just like a flower at the beginning of spring, that they blossom and come out of their shells. They just come out of their shells and can convince themselves they can do other things, be out in the community, do other things, and the community accepts them.”
I can attest to Mark’s words above and verify the positive impact these experiences have after witnessing Mark’s students in action during my coverage of the DWC Roseville adventure. The work, educational programs, and mission of Rising Stars Academy is an invaluable resource for Metro Detroit, one that resonates with Russ Haney.
“They’re strong in the community. Their mission is wonderful. Their students are going to learn here. I’m excited that Haney’s gets to participate in the development of the RSA students. I’m sure it’ll be good for them; I’m sure it’ll be good for our employees because I have wonderful, kind people here. And they will welcome Mark’s students, and I think it’s going to be a good fit for RSA,” Russ said. “And I will do everything in my power. That God allows me to do to help Mark and Deb be successful here. Anything I can do to help them and these employees continue on, I will do that.”
I want to express my gratitude for being able to share this heartfelt and inspiring story. I am grateful to Mark and Debbie Prentiss, Russ Haney, and the RSA Foundation for speaking with me and entrusting me to tell this story, as well as for the work that Rising Stars Academy does for its students and community.
I also want to acknowledge how polite and professional every staff member I interacted with at Haney’s was. Everyone was incredibly nice, and I even spoke with a few patrons as I gathered elements that affirmed that, with several folks telling me they typically dine at Haney’s several times a week because it feels like home and the staff, family. I have no doubt they will welcome students from Rising Stars Academy with open arms and embrace the mission of the Foundation, helping foster and empower opportunities for the students. If you’re ever in need of a solid breakfast or lunch, stop by Haney’s in Center Line. It’s a pillar in the community, with ‘everyone knows your name’ vibes, making you feel like part of the family.
Although food is always top of mind and the main inspiration for this blog, it takes a backseat when it comes to stories that showcase the wonderful acts of folks like Mark and Debbie, the RSA Foundation, and Tilly Vranovich for her lifelong dedication to education and believing in the potential of every student. By sharing these stories, I hope it inspires others to always choose kindness and find ways to support endeavors like the Rising Stars Academy Foundation.
For more information about the RSA Foundation, click here. More details about Haney’s Family Restaurant can be found here. While clicking here will take you to Gather + Ground’s website.
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