Blimpy Burger Kept the Burger and Rebuilt the Line

Doug Botsford was four years old the first time he ate at Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, back when it was on S. Division across the street from his grandparents' house. He told the Ann Arbor Observer that at Huron High he ordered the Pepper Steak Bullet, a triple burger piled with peppers, grilled onions and Provolone. Today he's 38 and the operating partner who runs the place day to day. In October he reopened the doors at 304 S. Ashley after more than six months of renovation.

The reopened Blimpy keeps the burger exactly as it was and changes how you get one. Nearly every decision the new owners made fits that split, and it shapes how a Thursday night burger run on Ashley works now.

Who owns Blimpy now, and when it reopened

Blimpy opened in 1953. Richard Magner ran it from 1992 until 2025, and his family then passed the business to a local partnership. According to MLive, the new owners are brothers Noah and Ethan Kaplan, who own York Food and Drink in Ann Arbor plus Leon Speakers and Mothfire Brewing Co. in Pittsfield Township, and Pete Levin, who started Joe's Pizza and Bo's Bagels on South University Avenue. Botsford rounds out the group of four.

The restaurant closed in mid-March. The owners first hoped to reopen by the end of May. In early August they posted that permits and licenses had been approved, construction was underway and equipment was on its way. The soft opening came on Friday, Oct. 23, and the restaurant stayed open through that weekend. The Detroit Free Press reports the official reopening as Oct. 28. Botsford told the Observer the update cost about $450,000, including a deep cleaning and new equipment.

What stayed the same

Most of that $450,000 went into the building and the kitchen equipment. The burger itself was left alone. MLive's reopening report lists what carried over:

• The original recipes, vendors and meat grind
• Smash burgers ground fresh daily
• The logos and the hand-drawn menu
• Cooks making food in front of you without writing tickets

You still order burgers by the number of patties, and fries, onion rings and soup are still the core of the menu. Two sandwiches regulars may remember, the Grilled Chicken Tarragon and the Classic Fish, will come back as specials.

"We want this legacy to be preserved and I'm just truly grateful to be one of the next stewards of this business," Botsford told the Observer.

The line is what changed

For decades, ordering at Blimpy meant following the routine posted on its website: deep fryer first, then the number of patties, then toppings. If you got the order wrong, the cooks let you know. The Observer reports that the step-by-step routine is no longer required.

Here's how an order works now, as Botsford described it to the Observer:

1. Place your whole order at the front.
2. Walk down the grill line while the cooks make your food.
3. Pick up your food at the end, with what Botsford calls "tactful banter" from staff along the way in place of taunts.

He told the Ann Arbor Observer why, passing along feedback he'd heard:

"The feedback I got from people was, 'Yeah, I liked Blimpy, but I only went there once a year when a friend was in town because of my anxiety.'"

That comment describes a customer who came once a year, only when they had a visitor to show the place to. The new owners want those customers back for a regular Tuesday dinner. The cooks still make every burger in front of you, and MLive reports the owners have committed to keeping the counter and its ordering culture. The part that put first-timers on the spot is gone.

More ways to order without the counter

Several other changes aim at the same customer who never felt comfortable at the counter. The Observer reports that you can now order ahead through a new app or get delivery. To-go orders are made on a separate production line so they don't slow the counter, an idea Botsford brought from managing the Raising Cane's in Canton.

The Grotto is across the street at 303 S. Ashley. Botsford told the Observer the plan is to put QR codes on its tables so people there can order Blimpy food without getting up.

Botsford also said he hopes to add a food truck. The business has signed on as a sponsor with the Champions Circle, the University of Michigan's Name, Image and Likeness collective, to support Michigan athletes. His stated goal is to "recapture the student population that spread the lore of Blimpy."

New on the menu board

The new items are drinks and dessert. None of them change the burgers. WEMU reports that Blimpy now serves a small selection of alcoholic drinks, plus draft root beer and soft-serve ice cream for floats. The restaurant has a beer license, and the Observer reports the taps will carry Mothfire beers from the owners' Pittsfield Township brewery. Botsford is capping pours at 12 ounces and stopping beer sales at midnight. "I don't want to mess with continuing intoxication," he told the Observer. He wants people focused on the food.

Prices went up. The Observer reports that a double cheeseburger now costs $7, up $1.50 from the previous menu. The restaurant has 28 employees, and hourly pay starts at $18 plus tips.

Hours and the late-night window

MLive reported that Blimpy will be open seven days a week and some nights until 3 a.m. The Observer published this schedule:

Hours often shift in a restaurant's first weeks, so check the app before a late Friday or Saturday run. On a Thursday through Saturday night, the beer stops at midnight while the grill keeps going for hours. A burger and a root beer float after a show downtown is exactly the kind of order the new setup is built for.

Botsford told WEMU the response so far has been mixed but mostly positive:

"It's kind of a mixed bag. People are naturally afraid of change. But I think, for the most part, the changes are being received well. People understand that, in order for a business to take a step forward and to grow and to stick around, changes need to happen. And we're proud of those changes."

WEMU also reported that Blimpy's official ribbon cutting was tentatively planned for mid-November, which puts it right around now. Blimpy is at 304 S. Ashley St., and the phone number is (734) 663-4590.

How far it is to a late burger on Ashley Street can matter when you're choosing where to live. If you're thinking about a move in or around Ann Arbor, Realty Experts can talk through what everyday life looks like in each neighborhood you're considering. Work With Brad.