Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth Spotlight: Frankenmuth, Michigan

Frankenmuth calls itself Michigan’s Little Bavaria, and Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth is the restaurant that anchors the whole identity. This family-style chicken dinner destination has been drawing visitors from across the Midwest since the Zehnder family established it, and it now counts among the most visited restaurants in the United States.

Located at 730 S Main St in Frankenmuth, Zehnder’s is an enormous operation that has never stopped operating like a family restaurant at heart. The all-you-can-eat chicken dinner is the centerpiece: fresh-roasted chicken served family-style with homemade noodle soup, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable, cranberry relish, and bread. The formula has remained essentially unchanged because there is no reason to change something that has made millions of meals memorable.

The scale of the building and the operation might suggest an impersonal experience, but Zehnder’s has maintained a quality of service and consistency of food that keeps people coming back for anniversaries, family reunions, holiday dinners, and plain old Tuesday-night drives up from Metro Detroit. The bakery connected to the restaurant sells fresh-baked bread, rolls, and desserts that extend the visit before or after the meal.

Frankenmuth itself draws tourists year-round, with Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland a short distance away, a strong brewery scene, and the river and covered bridges that give the town its character. Zehnder’s is the meal at the center of most of those visits.

Visit at zehnders.com on S Main Street in Frankenmuth.

Michigan Small Business Spotlight is proud to feature Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth as one of Mid-Michigan’s most iconic and storied dining destinations.