ROSEVILLE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – In December 2023, Detroit Wing Company donated the Roseville location to Rising Stars Academy, a school for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Rising Stars Academy’s mission is to provide a place of inclusivity and help develop diverse workplace skills for children aged 18 to 26. The students work with DWC staff to gain hands-on learning and social experience so they can pursue the careers they want. The academy employs students in dozens of job openings at companies in Metro Detroit.
Detroit Wing Company founder Gus Malliaras heard about the institution through another local business owner who works with the school.
Malliaras says that a few years after founding DWC, one of his goals was to be involved with charities and the community, and he wanted to create a charity location like the one in Roseville.
“Rising Stars ran it. The sales, everything they do here benefits Rising Stars. It’s staffed by Rising Stars students. It was really great to see the kids working there and giving them that purpose “Everything related to that goal of that program has been really rewarding for us,” Malliaras said.
Malliaras founded Detroit Wing Company in Eastpointe in 2015 after running a few restaurants since he was 22. It wasn’t long after the Roseville location opened in 2022 when he met Rising Star Academy founders Debbie and Mark Prentiss.
Mark Prentiss spoke about the school’s approach to removing stigmas and overcoming barriers through education and workplace programs.
“It’s just the coolest thing in the world when these kids are standing in front of someone. Usually our kids, or someone who has a disability or maybe doesn’t have the most productive mind, is always behind the dishwasher. But that’s not our mentality. Our mentality is to get them out, break those barriers and that mentality so they can compete and be productive citizens,” he said.
Debbie Prentiss remembered when Rising Stars Academy first opened 12 years ago. The school had only 26 students and no vacancy sites had yet been arranged. Today, the facility welcomes more than 160 people daily and has approximately 90 partnerships and customers in Metro Detroit.
“Our motto at school is that every student should be given as many opportunities as possible. That is why, when DWC came to us for this partnership, we said ‘sure’. Normally we do not say ‘no’ to any partnership, because it focuses on giving our children the jobs they want,” said Debbie Prentiss.
The students worked diligently during the lunch rush, preparing food for the night shift ahead of them. One of the students, Joe Tancredi, said some of his favorite aspects of the job were brining, breading and preparing the chicken.
“Everyone around here works really hard to make sure everything is just right. The blue raspberry lemonade is delicious. Everything here is delicious. The garlic parmesan sauce is amazing. Everyone should come here because, you know, it is an absolutely wonderful place to work. And you know, sometimes you see us and you see what we do. It’s an absolutely wonderful place to be,” Tancredi said.
Looking ahead, Malliaras said the Detroit Wing Company will continue to build its partnership with the Rising Stars Academy. The benefits of the program have had an impact on students like Tancredi, who said she is grateful for the work experience.
“You know, people with special needs don’t normally really get opportunities like this, and it’s an amazing experience,” Tancredi said.
Visit the website for more information about the Rising Stars Academy and its programs.
