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Posted on Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 2:59 p.m.

Fire-damaged Golden Chef restaurant demolished

By Cole Bertsos

The former Golden Chef, a fire-damaged restaurant in Ann Arbor's Maple Village Shopping Plaza, was demolished mid-afternoon Monday.

According to city records, the building permit to demolish the restaurant was issued March 1, nine days after the permit was first approved.

The restaurant has been vacant since it was damaged in a 2008 fire, after which owners failed to renovate the building to city-issued parameters.

It's unclear whether the permit was pursued by the city or the owners. The city of Ann Arbor's Planning and Development Department could not immediately be reached for comment.


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Comments

MichDish

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 11:56 p.m.

It took 5 years to get rid of this eyesore???? Now that is newsworthy. Anybody know why it took so long? That is really politics in action IMHO!

windjmar

Thu, Mar 7, 2013 : 7 a.m.

and, they were still doing the arson investigation.

Bertha Venation

Wed, Mar 6, 2013 : 6:01 p.m.

That's because for a couple of years, Council thought it was urban art.

mady

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 5:32 p.m.

@Bertha Venation, wow. you must be close to my age(I'm 60) to remember the Chicken Delight jingle! we had it occasionally when I was growing up. from one old bean to another, Mady

Bertha Venation

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 5:40 p.m.

Ha! Yep, Mady. 61 two weeks ago. Pioneer 1970. Bertie

G-Man

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:01 p.m.

Geez... Only took 5 years to get it down....... The dude's house with the sinkhole was taken down slightly faster....

Andy T

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 3:45 a.m.

I wonder if they found my keys.

Halter

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.

I do believe that this is the lot that Tim Horton's has been pursuing....perhaps this will clear the way for them to finally build their restaurant there.

jondhall

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:17 a.m.

This story is about worthless .... We know the restaurant got razed after a fire , duh ??

jcj

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:25 p.m.

jondhall I live within a mile of there, went by there at noon and I did NOT know it was razed in the afternoon! Do you live within eyesight is that how YOU knew instantly?

Cole Bertsos

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:16 a.m.

There's also a vine video of the demolition that our staff photographer Daniel Brenner took here: vine.co/v/bHbtPtvhJOx

EyeHeartA2

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 11:01 p.m.

Good Chinese food back in the day. But that was about 1995.

ChrisW

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 10:37 p.m.

About time.

WalkingJoe

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 10:16 p.m.

When I saw the headline I wondered where the Golden Chef was. When it was mentioned in the article that it was in Maple Village I still couldn't place. Then in the above comments I saw it was the old Burger Chef I was instantly filled with memories. I worked through high at the Wrigley's supermarket that was next to Kmart. Does anybody remember that? Had many a lunch there at Burger Chef, but a Blimpy's they were not. And I'll beat you to the punch, yes I'm old. :-)

Ann English

Wed, Mar 6, 2013 : 1:01 a.m.

WalkingJoe, I remember the wall that separated Kmart from Wrigley's. It was a complete wall from floor to ceiling towards the back, but one that you could see partially over near the front of Kmart, and there was a door to go through to get from one store to the other. And this was in place before the first Meijer store in the area (on Carpenter) was opened in 1971.

Bertha Venation

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:39 p.m.

I remember Wrigleys Market being next to K-Mart, but the original location was on W. Stadium Boulevard, where the Hollywood Video closed... Just down the block and across the street from the old A&W. AH high school memories! :)

WalkingJoe

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 3:25 a.m.

Actually Ann English, Kmart foods was not owned by Kmart but a company called Allied Foods which also owned Wrigleys. I was working there when they changed the name because people kept wanting to shop at both places and pay one bill like you do at Meijers. The two were actually separate stores in one building.

Ann English

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1 a.m.

That Golden Chef fire was in the early morning, when it was still dark. I remember how Kmart had its own Kmart Food grocery store, before that grocery store became a Wrigley's in the 1970s. The A & P predated that Wrigley's location. And Arlens was replaced by an Old World, then TruValue Hardware, and finally TJ Maxx. Only Arlen's had a snack bar.

zanzerbar

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:46 a.m.

I must be getting old too, I remember Arlans.

Ben

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 10:29 p.m.

Wrigley's? Did that predate the A&P?

jcj

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 10:21 p.m.

I remember Wrigley's. Do you remember Arlans in Westgate? And Sims Mens Wear? Sims is where I worked my way through high school. Yes I am old.

anti-thug

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 9:38 p.m.

whats with sooo many fire lately in Ann Arbor?

jns131

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:52 a.m.

I thought that was like 2007 September because I remember driving by there and calling it in. I do remember seeing smoke and no trucks. Sad but true. The area was closed off an hour later. Yes, I was the one that called it in because I saw the smoke at 6:30 am or some bad hour.

Tyrone Shoelaces

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 12:20 a.m.

... during which the illegal aliens woke up and ran out the back door.

Homeland Conspiracy

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 10:13 p.m.

Lately?....The restaurant has been vacant since it was damaged in a 2008 fire,

thinker

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:45 p.m.

Any idea who will take build on that area? I thought, in an earlier article, an arbor.com had mentioned Tim Horton's. Anyone know for sure?

Visual Echo

Wed, Mar 6, 2013 : 5:48 p.m.

I didn't know TH served Chinese take-out.

jns131

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:49 a.m.

I heard that it fell thru. I guess something gave in because I am thrilled to see this place gone and the promise of a new Tim Hortons. Can't wait to have breakfast.

Kyle Mattson

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.

You're correct thinker, a TimH's was announced for it http://bit.ly/105Ho4j but we've yet to see any movement on that plan since that story. That location does seem prime for some type of quick service establishment, but we're not aware of anything in the works at this time.

fjord

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 9:08 p.m.

Tim Horton's was mentioned, but I believe they backed out quite a while ago.

Wystan Stevens

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:36 p.m.

HARDEES! Don't forget Hardees! "Hurry on down to Hardees, where the burgers are charcoal broiled!"

mady

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 5:27 p.m.

Hi Wystan, Mady here! wow, we are both dating ourselves, I remember that jingle even if the part about their burgers being "charcoal broiled" is b.s.! I especially remember their mushroom/swiss burgers. Yum.

Bertha Venation

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:35 p.m.

Or.... "Don't cook tonight.... Call Chicken Delight!" Does anyone know what will be going in there?

jns131

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:48 a.m.

Thank you. If no one mentioned Hardee's? I would cry. I did when they closed. Best fast food burger joint in the area. Next to Arthur Treachers and KFC. But now it is a drugstore. Glad to see that place gone.

Tyrone Shoelaces

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.

I really don't think it's appropriate to include a picture of the contractor about to be killed by a giant claw.

TinyArtist

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.

Tyrone, that could just be the termination claws written into his contract.

oyxclean

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 11:53 a.m.

Thank you Brad and Homeland Conspiracy for the much needed laughs!

Brad

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 11:57 p.m.

No, it was my MUCH OLDER sister that subjected me to Get Smart reruns.

RUKiddingMe

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 11:45 p.m.

Oh my goodness, Homeland and Brad! I felt KIND of old when I got Homeland's reference, then REALLY old when I got Brad's. It's good to know people out there are as old as I am. I can't make any jokes about this stuff to these whippersnappers at work :>)

Brad

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 11:09 p.m.

The Craw? No, not The Craw, The CRAW!

Ryan Martin

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.

Ronny Miller, he will be missed.

Ann English

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:47 p.m.

I thought they included that photo to give us an impression of just how big the claw is.

Homeland Conspiracy

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:40 p.m.

"I'm crushing your head"

f4phantomII

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:19 p.m.

" The city of Ann Arbor's Planning and Development Department could not immediately be reached for comment." Sounds right.

Tyrone Shoelaces

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.

It's only the middle of the afternoon on a business day. Too much to ask, I guess.

Andrew Kerr

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:16 p.m.

Best vegetarian Chinese food around :-(. Haha Tyrone, I'd completely forgotten about burger chef!

Chimay

Tue, Mar 5, 2013 : 2:16 p.m.

I agree Andrew. I miss their Curry Tofu.

Ann English

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:46 p.m.

Between Burger Chef and Golden Chef, there was a Hardee's.

Tyrone Shoelaces

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.

Farewell, Burger Chef and Jeff.

Matt Lang

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:26 p.m.

We used to "borrow" the trays from Burger Chef and used them to slide down the hill at Vet's Park In the winter

John

Mon, Mar 4, 2013 : 8:17 p.m.

Burger Chef had the best kids toys back in the day...

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