Both Zehnder's Restaurant and Bavarian Inn are owned by members of the Zehnder family. Zehnder's is owned by the Edwin Zehnder family and Bavarian Inn by the William Zehnder Jr. family. The Zehnders entered the restaurant business in 1927, when they purchased the Exchange Hotel and turned it into a restaurant specializing in fried chicken dinners.

Rechristened “Zender’s,” the building took on a colonial flair during remodeling and expansion. William Zehnder, Jr. was an American Revolutionary history buff whose favorite founding father was George Washington. He incorporated elements of the first president’s Mt. Vernon estate into the restaurant’s design. This style is evident today, contrasting with the German-themed design of the surrounding town.

The Zehnder family later bought the Fischer House, across the street, renaming it “Bavarian Inn.” Today, separate branches of the original Zehnder family own each of the restaurants. The William “Tiny” Zehnder, Jr. family owns the Bavarian Inn, and the Edwin Zehnder family owns Zehnder’s.

Zehnder’s still uses many old family recipes. Many of these have been documented by executive chef John Zehnder, who has published two cookbooks of heirloom recipes.

Many local residents continue to work at Zehnder’s, including generations of German families. According to John Zehnder, during the Depression, Henry Ford was a regular customer at Zehnder’s. According to family legend, Ford always requested his dining bill to be forwarded to Ford Motor Company. One of the richest men in the world, he never had enough cash on hand to pay his tab.

The second largest independent restaurant in America, Zehnder’s serves approximately 900,000 meals a year. It is America's largest family restaurant. On weekends, it often serves over 10,000 guests for a weekly total of 20,000 people. During the year, Zehnder's guests will consume 840,000 pounds of chicken, 628,000 pounds of cabbage, 110,000 pounds of vegetables, and 26,000 pounds of coffee.

References:

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.

Zehnder's Restaurant. (2006). [online resource].

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