Could Battle Creek become Candy City? A look at 2026 through the eyes of residents

Editor’s note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave’sOn the Ground Battle Creek series. All photos were taken by John Grap.

BATTLE CREEK, MI — Paul Conkey says he doesn’t know if Battle Creek will always be thought of as “Cereal City.”

“We have a lot of identity with that,” says Conkey, Co-owner of the Griffin Grill & Pub. He is among several Battle Creek residents who shared their hopes for the city in 2026 and what they consider its identity after the W.K. Kellogg Co. was acquired in September by the Ferrero Group based in Luxembourg.

Ferrero is one of the world’s largest sweet and packaged food companies, with brands including Nutella, Nestle Crunch, and Butterfinger.

The Kellogg Co. turns 120 years old this year. Given the long history between the company and the City, Conkey says he hopes that the Kellogg identity and brand will remain under the new ownership.

He’s also hoping that Ferrero will share with other community stakeholders like Post Consumer Brands, the Battle Creek Community Foundation (BCCF), and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) in bringing more opportunities to the downtown area where the Griffin is located.

When he purchased the business almost 20 years ago, he says the former McCamly Plaza Hotel was doing “decently well” and that the Kellogg Arena was a “big part of that.”

The $85 million renovation of the McCamly Hotel property, which officially opened in October 2024 as a DoubleTree by Hilton, is “fantastic,” Conkey says. This latest lodging opportunity will give visitors to Battle Creek additional options.

He credits Linda Freybler, CEO of the Calhoun County Visitor’s Bureau, with bringing in groups for various meetings and conventions, resulting in higher hotel room occupancy. He says amateur and youth sporting events, such as volleyball tournaments, bring upwards of 4,000 people to Battle Creek.

An idea being considered to expand C.O. Brown Stadium into a multi-use sports facility would create opportunities to expand the venue to include sports like soccer and lacrosse, Conkey says. The Stadium is already home to baseball and softball tournaments.

Pivoting back to the city’s downtown, he says he’d like to see the momentum continue to have more restaurant and retail options. 

“The more we have, the more people we’ll have who come downtown, and it becomes a very vibrant community. We need to keep the momentum going. I look forward to a new year and a new direction.”

Food, not just cereal

Connie Duncan, a retired Educator, says she’d like to see the theme of food “clearly integrated and understood” when talking about the city’s identity.

“I think our identity is tied to cereal, but it shouldn’t be just about Kellogg, which is a company with a research center and foundation of the same name. I think the identity is tied to cereal, but it shouldn’t be just about Kellogg, which is a company with a research center and a foundation, which goes by the same name. We have Ralston and Post, which also have a history around cereal that doesn’t have to be around cereal but rather food.”

Duncan says she’s not sure the greater Battle Creek community understands how the city could benefit from this expansion with a wider perspective on food in general.

“I don’t think young people think of going into food science. There are so many careers in food. In Battle Creek, we have entrepreneurs and organizations focused on food. There’s just a real energy around it.”

From cornflakes to candy bars

Instead of Cereal City, Wayland Young says Battle Creek could become “Candy City” because of the acquisition of Kellogg by Ferrero. His father retired from Kellogg.

Young is a lifelong Battle Creek resident who has worked for Avis Car Rental for 20 years. He relies on the city’s bus system to get around and sometimes has to borrow a car or get a friend to take him shopping.

“I would like to see bus routes improved because there are places they don’t go that they should. A lot of senior citizens can’t make it that far to where the stops are now. I’d also like to see somewhere to shop downtown and a cheaper restaurant there.”

The ‘Longest Breakfast Table’

A 2021 graduate of Lakeview High School, Elliott Behrendt says they grew up attending events like the “Longest Breakfast Table,” which they always enjoyed. While they understand the nod to cereal, they say the city’s identity should be one of belonging and diversity.

“I would love to see us moving towards an understanding of those around us, especially when we feel divided, and there’s not a bridge to build between us. I would love to see us build a bridge and come together.”

His own journey to build a connection “started with a lot of little things that led to bigger things.” He worked to develop a greater understanding of the roots of the anger some people feel and says it’s important to remember that “we’re all citizens of the Earth. We’re not Christian or Catholic or Jewish, we’re all children of the Earth. This will help us to understand each other a bit more that we’re a community and a family.”

Behrendt, who works part-time at Willard Public Library and New Community Books in Marshall, is also involved in community theater. They say they’d like to see more community events focused on the arts.

“I like to see the way the city comes together for things like that. No matter who you are, art brings people together and gives them something to celebrate.”