Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, located at 304 S. Ashley St., temporarily closed March 17 due to a change in ownership following the death of previous owner Richard Magner, who ran the establishment for over 30 years. The restaurant, now undergoing renovations, plans to re-open by the end of May.
Blimpy Burger is a long-standing Ann Arbor burger restaurant which prides itself on its affordability, efficient service and uniquely curt treatment of customers who slow down their service. Blimpy’s motto since opening has been “cheaper than food,” and the restaurant only charges $5.49 for a double cheeseburger.
Before Magner became the owner, Blimpy Burger was owned by James “Jim” Shafer, who founded the restaurant and ran it at its original location on 551 S. Division St. from 1953 to 1992. Magner purchased Blimpy Burger in 1993 and moved the restaurant to its current location in 2014 after the University of Michigan purchased the original property.
The restaurant will be taken over by a new management team including Noah and Ethan Kaplan, owner and chief operating officer, respectively, of Leon Speakers and Mothfire Brewing Co.; Pete Levin, owner of Ann Arbor’s Joe’s Pizza and partner of BO’s Bagels; and Doug Botsford, a James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurant owner of the Juicy Oistre food truck.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Levin said Noah Kaplan approached him for help with renovating the restaurant.
“My good friend Noah Kaplan … had come to me because he knew the Blimpy family and had been talking to them about eventually taking over Blimpy,” Levin said. “As busy as I am with Joe’s and other projects with Joe’s partners, a project like this is so important to Ann Arbor and to the culture of Ann Arbor … that it almost felt like I had to help him get this deal done.”
Blimpy has been a staple among students for generations and has been dubbed “the best burger in town” by The Daily several times in its yearly “Best of Ann Arbor” awards. The shift in ownership has sparked conversation among students about which characteristics of the restaurant will change once it reopens in mid-June.
In an interview with The Daily, Information sophomore Nathaniel Mitelman said he hopes the unique ordering style stays the same because it creates an intense and entertaining atmosphere inside the restaurant.
“First, you tell them if you want anything in the deep fryer … then you tell them how many patties you want on your burger, then you tell them what bun you want, because you have to be very specific,” Mitelman said. “Then the toppings, and then later they ask you if you want cheese or any lettuce, ketchup, mayo, anything like that. We like to say that you eat with your eyes first, and then you actually eat the burger.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA sophomore Benjamin Gordon said he and his friends feel the environment and attitude at Blimpy gives the restaurant a unique charm.
“We want the idea of the restaurant to stay the same,” Gordon said. “You walk in, get in line, you speak to the person that’s cooking your meal, you tell them what you want, and if you mess up, you get a little thrown back at you. But it’s all fun and jokes, like a good environment.”
Levin said the new management team plans to maintain continuity at the restaurant, while upgrading some of the appliances and adding an additional grill to support third-party delivery.
However, the new owners do plan to make a few small changes to the restaurant. According to a press release, the renovated location will serve beer, extend its hours past midnight and expand service to food delivery platforms.
“While the new team is committed to keeping the ‘classic soul’ of Blimpy Burger intact—including the ground-fresh daily smashburgers, the iconic ordering etiquette and unique counter culture, and the bear mascot—strategic improvements are planned to ensure the brand thrives for future generations,” the press release read.
Levin said his priority is ensuring that Blimpy remains a significant part of Ann Arbor’s culture and maintaining the reputation the previous restaurant owners have built.
“The purpose of this project primarily is to make sure Blimpy remains in Ann Arbor as Blimpy,” Levin said. “It’s part of what a lot of us grew up with, even as a New Yorker, going to (the University of) Michigan here, like in the old location, those are some of my fondest memories of going to Blimpy with my friends. All of those memories are very important to me, and we want to make sure that sticks around for people to come.”
Daily Staff Reporter Samantha Schaefer can be reached at samipage@umich.edu.
