Hundreds of burger lovers are taking to Facebook to show their support for Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger after it was announced Thursday that the longtime Ann Arbor restaurant would be moving by next summer.
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger must move from its location on South Division Street in Ann Arbor.
Lord said he's never met the owner, Rich Magner, but felt compelled to show his support for the restaurant after eating there for 30 years. He's not sure what, if anything, will come of the page but hopes it will at least show Magner that people support Blimpy Burger wherever it goes.
"I grew up here, I remember my first Blimpy, and I got yelled at while I ordered it," said Lord, who now lives just north of Ann Arbor. "I remember my kids' first Blimpy, and them getting yelled at when they ordered it, 'cause that is the experience, no one orders their first one right!"
He added that the same person who made his first Blimpy burger made his now-teenage sons' burgers, too.
AnnArbor.com reported Thursday that Blimpy Burger's move comes as the University of Michigan purchases the property, owned by Patricia Shafer, the wife of the restaurant's deceased founder Jim Shafer. The restaurant must find a new location by summer 2013.
It's not clear what U-M has planned for the site, but it's expected that plans will be revealed Monday when the Board of Regents' next meeting agenda is posted.
In the meantime, Lord is hoping fellow burger lovers will keep showing their support on the page — where he's posting Blimpy Burger memes, memories and coverage of the restaurant (including its appearance on Man vs. Food).
"Ann Arbor has a lot of 'never forget' things," he says, and Blimpy Burger is one of them.
Julie Baker can be reached at juliebaker@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2576. Follow her on Twitter @juliebakera2.