Detroit-based Great Lakes Burger Bar, which offers create-your-own burgers with a variety of meat and topping choices, will expand with the opening of a second restaurant in Garden City next month. Its first restaurant opened in Detroit in February.
“(Garden City) is an untouched market,” says Omar Mitchell, co-owner of Great Lakes Burger Bar. “There just aren’t a lot of restaurants in the area. It’s a huge blue-collar demographic area and that’s who loves burgers.”
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant, to be located at 5726 N. Middle Belt Rd. just north of Ford Road, will offer customers their choice of a ground sirloin steak, turkey, crab, salmon, or veggie burger, along with the choice of more than 40 toppings and 10 different sauces.
Toppings include Applewood smoked bacon, a fried egg, avocado, Portobello mushrooms, and garlic butter shrimp, among other options. Sauce options include Cajun mayonnaise, Sriracha, and a garlic and herb mayonnaise.
“The unique part about this concept versus any other concept in the country (is that) we actually build the burgers right in front of (customers),” Mitchell says. “It’s like a Subway — once they place their burger order and the burger is cooked, it comes out on a tray and we call the customer up to pick (their toppings and sauces).”
Great Lakes Burger Bar also offers fries with a variety of seasonings, salads, and shakes with flavors such as butter pecan, orange Creamsicle, and banana foster.
He says the design of the 150-seat restaurant will offer a classic American look, with lots of red and blue-colored decorations and natural wood booths. Pictures of the various Great Lakes decorate the walls. The Garden City restaurant will also have a space for children’s birthday parties.
The flagship Great Lakes Burger Bar opened in Detroit at West McNichols Road and the Southfield Freeway. Mitchell says he has plans to open more Great Lakes Burger Bar locations in the region.
Great Lakes Burger Bar will hold a hiring fair at its Garden City restaurant on April 26, and is looking to fill about 40 positions.
