Key Ingredients Michigan Foodways

Frankenmuth Foodways: Fast Facts

Frankenmuth seal

A Town with German Character

Frankenmuth’s German look and feel is not an accident. Frankenmuth was founded by immigrants from modern-day Germany in the 1800s. But the first German-inspired architecture didn’t appear until the 1950s as part of a concerted effort to attract visitors after the town was bypassed by Interstate 75. William Zehnder Jr. led this effort. His vision came to reality in 1958 when he hosted the first Bavarian Festival to celebrate his German-style remodeling of the Bavarian Inn. Today, ordinances protect the German integrity and character of the small town.

German Fried Chicken?
Frankenmuth’s German character and chicken dinners helped put the town on the map. But what does chicken have to do with Germany? Nothing.

The town’s famous chicken dinners predate Frankenmuth’s German theme. The tradition started at Zehnder’s (formerly the Exchange Hotel) and Fischers (currently the Bavarian Inn) prior to World War II. Both built a formidable reputation for providing premium poultry fried to perfection. As Frankenmuth adopted a German persona in the late 1950s, both restaurants kept their family-style chicken dinners and combined them with authentic German fare for a unique culinary combination.

Star of the West

The Star of the West Milling Company.

Star of the West
Frankenmuth’s agricultural scene is dramatically different from the town’s early days. One thing has remained the same – Star of the West Milling Company. Started by the Miller family in 1848, Star of the West is now the 17th largest flour mill in the nation.

Invasion of the Sugar Beets
Sugar beets are a staple crop in the greater-Frankenmuth area. In the fall, a seemingly endless stream of trucks dump large piles of the crop that dominate the landscape north of town (especially along M-83). Sugar beets account for 30% of the world’s sugar production.

U.S. Treasury v. Zehnder
With its German heritage, Frankenmuth has a strong tradition of beer making. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the Zehnder's restaurant served beer in teapots to customers who asked for “tea.” This backfired when a tea-drinking official from the Treasury Department (who enforced the Volstead Act) ordered his favorite beverage – and found his teapot full of a certain other “brew.”

Geyer's Beer

Geyer Brothers Brewed Original Frankenmuth Bavarian Beer and Boyne Falls beer until the family sold the plant in 1987.

The result? William Sr. & Emilie Zehnder and Henry Fischer received the largest fine levied for violating the Volstead Act. The Zehnders were fined $5,000 and Fischer fined $10,000. They agreed to chop up the restaurant’s bar – hand-carved from oak – to reduce the fine by $1,200.

References:

Bavarian Inn. (2006). [online resource].

Personal interview. (2006. November 9, 2006). Grossi, A. Z. (Bavarian Inn), McInerney, S. (Frankenmuth News), Varley, M. (Frankenmuth Convention & Visitors Bureau), Webb, J. (Frankenmuth Museum); Zehnder, J. (Zehnder's),

Kilar, J. (2002). Frankenmuth business: A pictorial history of Frankenmuth business. G. Bradley Publishing, St. Louis.

Zehnders Restaurant (2006). [online resource].

Key Ingredients Michigan Foodways
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