THANKSGIVING’S IMPORTANCE OR ARE YOU JUST A SCROOGE?
>> Tati: FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS TO
ME.
ME. >> Jason: I’M ALWAYS EXCITED FOR
DINE IN THE D BUT ESPECIALLY
TODAY.
TODAY. THERE’S A CRAZY GOOD PLACE
COOKING UP SOME OF MY FAVORITE
BURGERS IN ALL THE LAND.
>> Tati: IT’S IN ANN ARBOR AND
PART OF FAMILY TRADITIONS FOR
GENERATIONS.
GENERATIONS. >> Jason: SO DECIDE IF YOU WANT
A DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUAD, OR
QUINT, BECAUSE MICHELLE OLIVER
IS TAKING US TO BLIMPY’S.
AND IF YOU THINK IT’S A VERSION
OF THE SOUP NAZI, YOU’RE ON THE
RIGHT TRACK.
RIGHT TRACK. >> Michelle: WELCOME TO KRAZY
JIM’S BLIMPY BURGER.
THEY’VE BEEN DISHING UP GREASY
BURGERS SINCE THE ’50s AND HAS A
LOT OF HISTORY.
>> HE WAS WORKING AT IN JACKSON
AND HE WAS ASKED IF HE WANTED TO
COME TO ANN ARBOR AND DO A PLACE
HERE.
HERE. HE WORKED FOR THE GUY.
ONCE HE GOT THE BUSINESS UP, HE
WAS GONNA GIVE HIM THE HOOK, SO
HE SAID, THE HECK WITH IT AND
LEFT AND STARTED HIS OWN PLACE.
TO GET SOME CASH FLOWING, HE
OFFERED A 39-CENT, 49-CENT
BREAKFAST.
BREAKFAST. THE GUY NEXT DOOR TOLD HIM HE
WAS CRAZY.
WAS CRAZY. HENCE THE NAME KRAZY JIM’S.
>> I STARTED IN ’69 AND WORKED
OFF AND ON THROUGH ’74.
I DESIGNED A T-SHIRT FOR JIM
WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME THE
LOGO.
LOGO. AND I’VE BEEN IN ART SCHOOL, BUT
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT JIM’S IS I
WAS ABLE TO USE MY ARTWORK TO
PROMOTE THE BUSINESS.
>> Michelle: SO WHAT MAKES THE
BURGER SO SPECIAL?
IT’S A LOT OF THINGS.
>> WE GRIND OUR OWN BEEF.
EVERYTHING IS ORDERED DIRECTLY
FROM THE COOK.
THE CUSTOMERS THEMSELVES DESIGN
THEIR OWN BURGERS.
NO TWO BLIMPIES ARE ALIKE.
>> Michelle: WITH ALL THE
OPTIONS, THAT MEANS BEING ON TOP
OF THINGS WHEN YOU ORDER IS A
MUST!
MUST! >> WHEN YOU COME IN, IF YOU’RE
GONNA EAT IN, GRAB A TRAY.
IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA EAT IN, YOU
DON’T NEED A TRAY.
>> THE PERSON PAYS LAST IN LINE.
>> THEY’LL ASK YOU WHAT YOU WANT
FROM THE DEEP FRYER.
>> STEAK FRIES, ONION RINGS,
MIXED VEGETABLES.
MIXED VEGETABLES. >> ONION RINGS, SMALL.
THAT’S HOW MANY GO IN A SMALL?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> Michelle: THEN THE BURGER
ORDER.
ORDER. >> START OUT WITH THE PATIES.
>> WOULD I LIKE A TRIPLE.
>> THERE ARE 10 PATTIES TO A
POUND.
POUND. AND TRIPLE IS CLOSE TO A
QUARTERED POUND.
QUARTERED POUND. >> WOULD I LIKE ONIONS AND
BANANA PEPPERS.
BANANA PEPPERS. THEN CHOOSE YOUR BUN.
I WENT WITH ONION.
AND THE CHEESE COMES LATER.
I GET TO EAT AS I WAIT.
I CAN DIG THIS.
THEN YOU PICK OUT THE CONDIMENTS
AND ALL THE VEGGIES YOU WANT ON
TOP OF THE BURGER.
THEY HAVE QUITE THE SELECTIONS,
INCLUDING OLIVES.
INCLUDING OLIVES. WHEN THE MEAT IS DONE COOKING,
THEY ASK YOU FOR YOUR CHOICE OF
CHEESE.
CHEESE. >> PEPPER JACK.
>> Michelle: AND THEY PUT IT
TOGETHER FOR YOU TO ENJOY.
AND MY FAVORITE IS EATING IT.
SO I’M GONNA DIG IN.
THAT’S PRETTY GOOD.
>> Jason: JOINING IS RICH, ONE
OF THE OWNERS OF BLIMPY BURGER.
THANKS FOR COMING IN AND FEEDING
US.
US. >> MY PLEASURE.
>> Tati: WE APPRECIATE YOU.
TELL US ABOUT THE SPREAD YOU
HAVE OUT HERE.
>> WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BRING A
FEW SAMPLES OF WHAT WE HAVE.
HERE IN THE CENTER ARE THE
SIZES, A DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUAD,
AND A QUINT.
THERE ARE 10 PATTIES TO A POUND,
SO A QUINT IS A HALF POUND.
I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING WITH
ALL OF THE BUNS THAT WE HAVE.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE PLAIN
BUNS, WE HAVE PUMPERNICKEL, A
NICE ONION ROLL AND A KAISER
ROLL.
ROLL. THESE ARE -- IN ADDITION TO THE
BURGERS, WE CUT AND BREAD OUR
OWN VEGETABLES.
OWN VEGETABLES. SO THIS IS A COMBINATION OF
BROCCOLI, ZUCCHINI, CAULIFLOWER
AND MUSHROOMS.
AND MUSHROOMS. >> Tati: SEE, YOU CAN GET A SIDE
OF VEGETABLES.
OF VEGETABLES. >> THESE ARE ONION RINGS AND
THEY’RE HAND BREADED.
>> Tati: HANDMADE.
>> Jason: SO THIS IS YOU HERE?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Jason: AND THIS IS YOUR SON
IN THE MIDDLE?
>> YES, ’72 AND 2017.
I STILL LOOK THE SAME, RIGHT?
>> Jason: HAVEN’T AGED A DAY.
>> Tati: CHEAPER THAN FOOD SINCE
1953, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> BACK IN THE DAY IN THE ’50s,
EVERYBODY ATE AT HOME AND COOKED
AT HOME.
AT HOME. BACK WHEN BURGER JOINTS WERE
FIRST OUT, THEY WERE CHEAP,
15-CENT BURGERS OR 20-CENT
BURGERS, BUT YOU COULD TAKE THEM
OUT AND FEED THEM THEN YOU COULD
AT HOME.
AT HOME. SO THAT’S WHERE IT IS.
BUT I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS EVER
A TAG LINE.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS FIRST
WORKING THERE THAT WE WOULD JOKE
WITH THE CUSTOMERS.
>> Jason: WHEN DID IT BECOME
THIS THING THAT IF YOU DON’T
HAVE THE ORDER READY TO GO, YOU
GET YELLED AT?
>> IT’S -- VERY BASICALLY, WE
HAVE A SET OF PROCEDURES THAT WE
WANT CUSTOMERS TO DO.
>> Jason: AN ASSEMBLY LINE.
>> AND THE REASON WE DO IT, IS
TO GET THEM THROUGH THE LINE AS
QUICK AS WE CAN.
THAT’S WHAT ALL THE RULES ARE
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> Jason: TATI WOULD BE THERE,
AND OH, I THINK I WANT... NO
SOUP FOR YOU!
>> Tati: I WOULD CHECK YOUR MENU
OUT ONLINE AND BE READY TO GO.
>> YOU CAN DO THAT AT
BLIMPYBURGER.COM.
BLIMPYBURGER.COM. >> Jason: AND WHERE DID THE NAME
COME FROM?
COME FROM? >> THE NAME ORIGINALLY WAS JIM
WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THE ONE
WHO STARTED IT.
AND TO GET SOME CASH FLOW GOING,
HE DECIDED TO SERVE LIKE A
49-CENT BREAKFAST, FULL
BREAKFAST, TO GET PEOPLE COMING
IN.
IN. >> Jason: CRAZY JIM.
>> AND THE BAR OWNER NEXT TO HIS
SHOP SAID, YOU’RE CRAZY!
>> Tati: I LOVE IT!
>> Jason: WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
>> 304 SOUTH ASHLEY, A BLOCK
FROM MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN ANN
ARBOR.
ARBOR. >> Jason: IF YOU WANT TO TRY OUT
CRAZY JIM’S BLIMPY BURGER, WE’RE
GIVING A WAY -- AWAY TEN $15
GIFT CERTIFICATES.
GIFT CERTIFICATES. >> Tati: AND JOIN OUR FACEBOOK
GROUP, WE TALK ABOUT KRAZY JIM’S
AND OTHER PLACES TO EAT AROUND
TOWN.
TOWN. >> Tati: HOW DID YOU DO THAT?