Embedded Files
Photo of the original Blimpy Burger location, taken by Joseph Tobiaski. (Source)
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger logo, drawn by Rich Magner, who "worked for Schafer as a University of Michigan student from 1969-74" and now owns the restaurant (Hamilton). (Photo source)
Ann Arbor's Oldest Burger Restaurant
Ann Arbor's Oldest Burger Restaurant
by Cooper Stang
When you step through the door to Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, it feels akin to taking a step back in time. Bright retro colors adorn the walls punctuated by strange yet vibrant decorations like the large polar bear that greets every customer. The playful vibe of the restaurant sets the tone for the quirky yet undeniably delicious food served there. After witnessing the nostalgic decor and expertly refined food, it may not come as a shock that Blimpy Burger is the oldest burger restaurant in the city of Ann Arbor, getting its start in 1953 (Hamilton).
When you step through the door to Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, it feels akin to taking a step back in time. Bright retro colors adorn the walls punctuated by strange yet vibrant decorations like the large polar bear that greets every customer. The playful vibe of the restaurant sets the tone for the quirky yet undeniably delicious food served there. After witnessing the nostalgic decor and expertly refined food, it may not come as a shock that Blimpy Burger is the oldest burger restaurant in the city of Ann Arbor, getting its start in 1953 (Hamilton).
The iconic restaurant was founded by Jim Shafer, who was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1925. After his commendable military service in both the European and Pacific theaters of World War II, Jim returned home and moved to Ann Arbor where he opened Blimpy Burger at the corner of Division and Packard Street (Vielmetti). He also opened a second location, where he sold a full "breakfast of two eggs, ham, toast, juice and a coffee for a price of just 65 cents," according to MLive. This location is where Shafer earned the nickname “Crazy Jim,” which customers affectionately called him for his "crazy" low prices (Hamilton).
At his burger location, Shafer sold burgers by the patty with no need for a posted menu, according to a 2021 article by MLive. He simply told customers they could get one, two, or three patties and toppings. If a customer really wanted to, they could order a burger with as many as ten patties (Hamilton). To let people know how fat and juicy his burgers were, he named his restaurant Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger. Blimpy refers to something that is fat and plump, or alternatively resembles a blimp ("Blimpy"). Krazy Jim's famously fat, densely packed and juicy burgers certainly fit that description. "Jim is a diminutive of James, the Latin form of Jacob" and means "supplanter" (Kilroy).
After many years of service to his community selling cheap, delicious burgers and fried food, Shafer retired in 1993. In Jim's place, veteran Blimpy Burger grill chef Rick Magner (who was a student at the University of Michigan when he started working there) purchased the business (Hamilton). Since taking over, Magner has been keeping the memory of Jim Shafer alive since his passing in 2004 at the age of 79 ("James Shafer Obituary"). Magner continued many of the iconic location’s staple features, such as the signature menu, original furniture, and charismatic service. You can still get a double for just over three bucks... and a five patty "quint" for just over eight, according to their menu. Magner did however make the addition of a new polar bear mascot which is now an iconic part of the restaurant’s identity (Hamilton). Unfortunately, when the lease on the original location ran out, he was forced to move locations. UM built the Munger Graduate Residences where it once stood and the Ann Arbor staple now lives at 304 South Ashley Street, "right next door to another Ann Arbor icon, Fleetwood Diner" (Hamilton).
Photo from the Blimpy Burger Facebook.
The restaurant has held onto its historic roots, even in 2024, and Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger is still a landmark location of Ann Arbor that sells delicious, crazy cheap, "Blimpy Burgers."
Works Cited
“Blimpy.” Wiktionary, 2022, en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blimpy. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Hamilton, Jacob. “Local Eats: Blimpy Burger Has Been Slinging Award-Winning Patties since 1953.” Mlive, 24 July 2021, www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/07/local-eats-blimpy-burger-has-been-slinging-award-winning-patties-since-1953.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
“Jim Shafer - Ann Arbor - LocalWiki.” Localwiki.org, LocalWiki, 2024, localwiki.org/ann-arbor/Jim_Shafer. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
“James Shafer Obituary (2004) - Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor News.” Legacy.com, Legacy, 25 Jan. 2004, obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/annarbor/name/james-shafer-obituary?id=14817235. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Kilroy, Ella. "Jim." The Bump, TheBump.com, 25 Oct. 2024. https://www.thebump.com/b/jim-baby-name, Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
"Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger." Blimpy Burger. https://www.blimpyburger.com/ Accessed 26 Oct. 2024.
Magner, Rick. Illustration of Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger logo. Date missing. Source missing.
Photo of a Blimpy Burger. Blimpy Burger Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/blimpyburger/, Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Tobiaski, Joseph. Photo of the original Blimpy Burger location, Date missing. Source missing.
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