HOW IT STARTED
The idea of starting No. 9 stems from a childhood memory and current situations. As a child my mom would take me shopping with her,downtown Brooklyn. This trip downtown involved taking the “G” train to Hoyt & Schermerhorn, going up the stairs and walking through the Woolworth’s five and dime store. As far as I can remember, it was the only major store in Brooklyn with a Luncheonette counter. Although this place looked old (even by 70’s standards) they served the most delicious smelling hamburgers. This along with being surrounded by cheap plastic toys that I could touch made me loose it...every time. While my mom and I would walk through Woolworth’s... I would say, “ma...I want a hamburger”...and she would say “No! I will make you one when we get home"; this meant that I was going to get “her version" of a hamburger. This was some burger meat with green peppers and onions protruding out the sides and on wonder bread none the less.As I walked toward the door to leave Woolworth’s I would tell myself,” go ahead and ask her, what’s the worse that can happen? At about 30 feet from the door the smell hit me and I blurted out “ma, I want a burger” and to my surprise she said “O.K.” At first I couldn’t believe my ears so I looked at her, and she said O.K....Again! Any other time I would have to break away from her kung-fu grip and run to the lunch counter to get a better smell, but this day was different. I quickly looked around to find two open stools where my mom and I could sit down. I found them and sat where I can see everything. There they were in all of their glistening glory. These were no ordinary hamburgers; they had irregular edges...some had cheese, some didn’t. The smell was awe inspiring and I just knew that “they” did not use wonder bread for there burgers. The man with the white hat commanding the griddle knew what he was doing, the placed these well seared beauties on toasted hamburger buns. The man gave us our hamburgers and fries and we ate them.
HITTING FAST FORWARD
Being frustrated with the fast food industry, I often thought “If I ever owned a burger joint I would do thing the right way” the only problem was that I had no idea what the right way was but, I knew that the current standard wasn’t it. I spent the next four years researching old companies and just asking questions about hamburgers. I remember spending hours pouring over books of old diners and menus from the 40’s and 50’s. I must have asked the opinion of 30+ butchers about choices of meat...and I got 30+ different answers. I am very fortunate to be able to enlist the input of close friends that were around post WWll as well as my group of extended family and friends that love food. I was even given a seasoning that has been in our family for many years and have adapted it to make it my own. I then took to the streets of Ann Arbor and starting selling burgers at U of M football games. Both the local fans and student seem to like No.9 burgers
No.9 is still in its infancy. Right now, we are a “burger stand” that are only at University of Michigan football games. I used the term “burger stand” because... it is what it is and I hate gimmicks. I chose No.9 as a constant reminder to myself that I have to keep busting hump to make it the perfect 10. I believe that we make “burgers for the rest of us!” So...who fall into this “rest of us” category? There are those of us who like the idea of burgers being made fresh when ordered. There are those of us who like the idea that someone takes pride in what they do and serve. There are those of us who realize that you get what you pay for and believe its O.K. to wait for a quality product. There are those of us that like the idea of being treated people and not "one of the many served
