Zehnder’s Trivia and Facts

• Opening day was Mother’s Day, 1929; 312 chicken dinners were sold at $1 each.

• Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Snowfest weekend and weekends in November and December are the busiest days.

• Zehnder’s is America’s largest family restaurant featuring 10 dining rooms with a total seating capacity of 1,500 guests.

• On busy weekends, we serve nearly 10,000 guests and 15,000 guests during the week; approximately one million diners a year.

• Record breaking day: Thanksgiving, November 2017 – Zehnder’s served over 7,000 guests.

• During an average year, Zehnder’s guests consume 950,000 pounds of chicken, 750,000 pounds of cabbage, 180,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 40,000 pounds of assorted vegetables, 50 tons of locally grown squash, 26,000 pounds of Michigan-roasted coffee, 26,000 gallons of ice cream, and 40,000 loaves of stolen (fruit) bread and over 45,000 butterhorns made in Zehnder’s Bakery.

• Zehnder’s consistently serves more meals than any other independent restaurant in the United States (nearly one million each year).

• Zehnder’s employs more than 900 people, of whom 275 are servers and nearly 100 lifeguards.

The Fortress

• The Fortress golf course was originally a nine-hole facility called the Frankenmuth Golf and Country Club, which was purchased by Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth in 1984.

• In 1992, the Frankenmuth Golf and Country Club was converted to The Fortress, an 18-hole championship golf course.

• The Fortress was recognized as one of the top 450 public golf courses to play in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by Golf Digest in 1998.

Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark

• The Zehnder family purchased the Bavarian Haus Motel from Walter and Maria Palmer in 1988 and renamed it Zehnder’s Splash Village in 2005.

• In 1992, Zehnder’s expanded the hotel to 137 rooms, and added an indoor swimming pool-natatorium, exercise room, game room and garden courtyard.

• In September 2004, a portion of the hotel was demolished to make way for Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark. The $15 million new facility featured 146 rooms including 63 family suites, 125-seat restaurant, 20,000 square foot indoor waterpark, 2,000 square foot arcade, and a new lobby with a gift shop. Opening day was June 17, 2005.

• 2015 – $20 million expansion of Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark opened on October 31. The new Atrium Waterpark features two, six story water thrill rides; action river; 20-person hot tub; zero entry level pool with activity areas; 12 x 12 ft. private cabanas; 75-seat Mushroom Grille; a family outdoor pool and an expanded arcade. The hotel has an additional 32 guest rooms, 22 of which offer panoramic views of the waterpark. The Atrium Waterpark area features Michigan’s only waterpark with a retractable roof.

Zehnder’s Retail Marketplace

• Zehnder’s Marketplace, the foundation of Zehnder’s retail, made up of Z-Bakery, Z-Gift Shop and Z- Chef’s Café comprises 5,000 square feet of retail space within Zehnder’s Lower Level.

• Zehnder’s Mail Order is our online marketplace shopping which is available 24 hours a day on Zehnder’s website www.zehndersstore.com. Choose from a selection of tasty treats and favorite Zehnder’s gift items.