After more than 70 years of churning out its famous hamburger sliders from a tiny white building on Woodward Avenue and Hamilton Row, Hunter House Hamburgers is moving.
Owners of the beloved slider spot on Monday, Oct. 20, announced in a news release that they are staying in Birmingham and will set up restaurant operations in the former KFC at 33900 Woodward Ave., between Lincoln and Adams streets.
“The property has been under dispute for 20 years and this is our way to make sure Hunter House can last another 73 years,” co-owner Kelly Cobb told the Free Press.
Cobb said they own the new building, though he didn’t disclose any financial details of the purchase.
And slider fans need not worry. While the move won’t be far, the owners are working fast and promising everything will be the same.
“We have a building that is 73 years old that’s made to handle a fifth of the people who walk in,” he said. “This is an opportunity for a brand-new spot.”
While the move will be very soon, Cobb said operations will be continuous. On Oct. 31, Hunter House at 35075 Woodward and Hamilton Row will close. Starting on Nov. 1 they will have a semi-permanent heated tent set up on the lot to serve customers during construction.
“We’ve got health department approval to use the kitchen while construction is going on,” Cobb said. “We will be able to serve customers in that heated tent while the building gets redone.”
Plans are before the city for the new place, Cobb said, and they plan to open the inside of the new spot early next year.
What’s planned?
“Hunter House has served generations of families, and we’re excited to continue that tradition,” Cobb said.
Customers can expect that nothing will change, including the menu and even the grill used to cook its famous sliders.
“It’s exactly the same. We are designing it with fine details based on our current building,” Cobb said. “We are bringing the grill with us, carrying it out the door and putting it back in.”
Hunter House Hamburgers menu includes its sliders with or without cheese, caramelized onions and pickles. There’s also other sandwiches, a variety of hot dogs and sides of fries and onions rings on its menu.
While the building is three times larger, Cobb said the customer area will be the same size.
“The facility is larger and gives the capacity for larger and better service,” he said.
Customers can expect the same style white tiles out and inside the same stainless steel. There will be a larger parking lot.
Inside, Cobb said, will be the “same counter, same floor and everything the same.”
A highlight of the new building will be an outdoor seating area that wraps around the building.
Architects for the project is von Staden Architects.
Over the years, Hunter House Hamburgers accolades include shout outs for the “Best Burger in Michigan” by Food Network Magazine and the “Top 10 Burger in America” by Cooking with Paula Dean. The Wall Street Journal and the former Gourmet Magazine also featured Hunter House Hamburgers.
“It’s incredibly important to us that our customers feel the same nostalgia, same memories and same great food they’ve had for 73 years,” Cobb said. “There are generations of people that love that restaurant. We’d be doing a disservice if we didn’t make it identical.”
For updates on the move and reopening plans go to hunterhousehamburgers.com or follow @HunterHouseHamburgers on social media.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Become a subsriber. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Owners of Hunter House Hamburgers to close, reopen at new spot on Woodward
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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