Dortch Enterprises

Dortch Enterprises (DE) is a company in the restaurant business as a Subway and Taco Bell multiunit franchise operator and formerly owned the Halo Burger chain. Dortch was only one of 38 out of the 17,000 Subway franchisees worldwide that owns 40 or more locations.[1] The company as of August 12, 2019 has 21 Subway and 24 Taco Bells locations.[5]

Dortch Enterprises, LLC
TypePrivate LLC
IndustryRestaurant
Founded1987 (1987)[1]
FounderLouis Dortch Sr.
Louis Dortch Jr.[1]
Headquarters
Grand Blanc Township, Michigan
,
United States
Number of locations
45 (2019)
Area served
Central Michigan[2]
Key people
  • Louis Dortch Sr. (Chairman)
  • Louis Dortch Jr. (President/CEO)
  • Polly Dortch (marketing director)[2]
  • Matt Barcey (Vice president of operations)[3]
Productssub sandwichs
Tacos
Servicesrestaurant equipment repair
OwnerLouis Dortch Sr.
Louis Dortch Jr.
Number of employees
1,200[1]
Subsidiaries
  • Dortch Subway Groups
  • Fix My Restaurants, LLC
  • Great Lakes Taco[4]
Websitedortchenterprises.com

History

The Louis Dortch family started out in the dry cleaning business with Troy Cleaners, now owned by other family members.[6] Louis Dortch Sr. and Louis Dortch Jr. decided to expand from the dry cleaning business and opened a Flint Subway location in 1987. The duo followed with four more location in 13 months.[1]

The company also became a franchisee of Qdoba Mexican Grill.[7] Their first Qdoba was opened in Grand Blanc in 1998. An additional 14 locations in Genesee, Oakland, and Wayne counties would be built by 2008.[8] In November 2008, Qdoba purchased Dortch's franchised locations. With the increasing number of Subways in the state and the sale of the Qdoba franchise, Dortch looked for another brand to expand in Michigan. Dortch originally settled on being a Sonic Drive-In franchisee.[2]

By 2010, DE owned 40 Subway locations.[9] Dortch Enterprises had negotiated for property for a Sonic location in Dearborn[7] and had Planning Commission approval for a Livonia Sonic location in March 2010.[10] At the end of 2010, Dortch purchased the nine location Halo Burger chain[9] for about $10 million which led to them ending their Sonic franchisee.[2]

In 2011, Dortch Subway Groups opened three more locations by June.[1] In August 2012, Dortch filed and received approval for a site plan for a joint Halo Burger-Subway location on Belsay Road in Burton.[11]

2013 was a building blitz year for Halo Burger with nine more locations under constructions[2][12] with three opening by October, one of which was the joint Halo Burger-Subway location.[13][14][15]

While Dortch Subway Groups was up to 65 locations in October 2013 for a net gain of 22 locations from 2011.[2] By October 2014, Dortch moved their Milford and Highland Subway stores to new locations at both ends of Milford. The two stores were opened in 2004 and later purchased by Dortch with the understanding that both would have to be moved.[16] Dortch Enterprises sold the 15 location Halo Burger chain to Halo Country LLC in January 2016.[17]

Dortch was revealed to be a Taco Bell franchisee, when in August 2017, a Taco Bell Cantina location, the first for Michigan, was announced for Royal Oak, Michigan that Dortch would operate. Dortch also indicated they would open 10 additional locations in the next year.[18] Dortch Enterprises had purchased 24 Taco Bell restaurants, including the Cantina.[19] Its alcohol license for the Cantina became by April 2018 an issue with the police given the number of license in the central business district and the cost food of Taco Bell would attract underage patrons.[20] The license was not granted on April 23 by the city commission.[19] In August 2019, the building’s foundation and site work was finish for its Durand Taco Bell with plans to open in October.[5]

References
  1. "Franchising empire builders thinking big". Every Franchise's Franchise News. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  2. Skid, Nathan (October 8, 2013). "Eat to grow: Burger chain looks to surround region with Halo havens". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  3. "Staff". dortchenterprises.com. Dortch Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  4. McConnell, Mike (January 11, 2018). "New Taco Bell Cantina in Royal Oak to soon serve alcoholic drinks". The Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  5. Elford, Karen (August 12, 2019). "Taco Bell in Durand". Owosso Independent. Independent Newspaper Group. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  6. Rauschert, Jeff (3 January 2011). "New owner says Halo Burger will stay the same". NBC 25 News. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  7. Pepper, J. Patrick (March 29, 2010). "Sonic drive-in might open by mid-June". Times-Herald Newspapers. Dearborn, Michigan. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  8. "About Us". Dortch Enterprises.com. Dortch Enterprises. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  9. Rauschert, Jeff (December 28, 2010). "Halo Burger to be sold by Thomas family to Dortch Enterprises". NBC 25 News. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  10. Abramczyk, Ken (March 18, 2010). "Will Sonic boom on Seven Mile?". Observer. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  11. Acosta, Roberto (August 15, 2012). "Growth spurt: Halo Burger and Volunteers of America thrift store may bring boost to Burton economy". The Flint Journal. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  12. Franklin, Matt (Mar 15, 2013). "Halo Burger expands across the state". ABC 12. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  13. Allen, Jeremy (March 26, 2013). "Burton Halo Burger to open Wednesday, March 27". Flint Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  14. Beaudoin, Andrea (June 26, 2013). "Halo Burger now open". Clarkston News. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  15. Halo Burger Ribbon Cutting. Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Accessed on November 1, 2013.
  16. Allmen, Philip (October 2, 2014). "Subway stores get new locations in Milford". Milford Times. O&E Media. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  17. Adams, Dominic (January 20, 2016). "Halo Burger chain has new owner". The Flint Journal. MLive Media Group. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  18. "Taco Bell That Serves Alcohol Coming To Royal Oak". WWJ. August 25, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  19. Dickson, James David (April 24, 2018). "Royal Oak Taco Bell denied liquor license". Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  20. McConnell, Mike (April 17, 2018). "Taco Bell Cantina in Royal Oak to make case for serving alcohol". Oakland Press. The Daily Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
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