Remembering Bill Knapp’s: Michigan’s Chocolate on Chocolate Cake

Bill Knapp's wasn't just another restaurant for Michigan; it was the family gathering spot where we indulged in our favorite comfort foods...at reasonable prices. Their menu included steak, chops, seafood, and...the cake. All of them were born in 1948 at Southwest Capital near Columbia in Battle Creek.

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Clinton "Bill" Knapp, having spent years working in Battle Creek bakeries, decided to make a go of it on his own. He gathered some investors and opened the first Bill Knapp's location. At its peak, the restaurant boasted more than 60 locations, most of which were located in Michigan and around the Midwest. Florida was lucky enough to get a few locations, too.

Bill Knapp's Made Birthdays an Event for Michiganders

Michigan families bonded at Bill Knapp's, talking and dining on ham croquettes, potatoes au gratin, bean soup, and golden brown melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. Bill Knapps even dared to have a lobster tail on their menu (it paired nicely with their legendary fried chicken). The real draw was the chocolate-on-chocolate celebration cake.

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Birthdays were official with a cake from Bill Knapp's, and if you ate there on your birthday, you got a percent off for every year you were old. This means your meal would be free if you were there on your 100th birthday, and they'd owe you money if you went there on your 101st.

While Michigan still has fond memories of Bill Knapp's, sadly, not all occasions call for cake. The restaurant's journey took a downturn, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2002 and closing all remaining locations on August 20, 2002. Despite the closure, the chocolate cake lives on in grocery store shelves.

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Michigan may have bid farewell to Bill Knapp's, but memories of fried chicken, laughter, cake, birthdays, cake, and finally, cake linger on. After all, in the world of Michigan's fine dining, Bill Knapp's was more than just a restaurant; it's part of our state's culinary history.