Stacked burgers, sandwiches and chili are coming back to a busy corner in downtown Ann Arbor.
Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger is now under new ownership downtown at 304 S Ashley Street. New owners Noah and Ethan Kaplan plan on reopening the famous spot following temporary renovations and slight tweaks to the menu. Noah told What Now Detroit they are aiming to debut their version of Krazy Jim’s in a few months.
The previous owner Richard Magner was in charge of Blimpy Burger for more than 30 years, and he passed away at 74 during negotiations for the Kaplans taking over the space. Noah has been working close with the family, and they are making sure to keep many of the staple additions for the menu. They also plan on expanding the kitchen.
“They left it in really good shape,” Noah said.
The Kaplans will keep the menu mostly as is, but will be adding more vegetarian options. The burger options range from a double to half-pound patty, with additions like grilled onions, mild hot peppers and a grilled egg. Other sandwiches include grilled chicken tarragon, a veggie burger and a turkey deluxe. They plan on debuting their own chili fries, keeping the recipe from the previous owner.
A partnership is also taking place with Mothfire Brewing, in which the Kaplans plan on making custom beers from Krazy Jim’s for the brewery. The options will be 10-ounce beers with lower alcohol percentage, and this is why they are seeking a liquor license. It would allow them to expand hours to serve later at night.
The burger joint is near the corner of W Liberty Street, in between Fleetwood Diner and Kosmo’s BopShop Korean restaurant. This is an area of downtown with a lot of foot traffic, joining concerts like Bill’s Beer Garden, The Grotto and Old Town Tavern.
The Kaplans are working hard to serve the community again while keeping true to the Krazy Jim’s name. For more information on the restaurant and reopening date, visit their Facebook page.
