Business - Business News

POSTED: Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Grant's returns to Ferndale; daughter reopens popular burger joint

FERNDALE - After disappearing for nearly two years, Grant's hamburgers and shakes are back and already tantalizing local residents.

Last week, Kimberly Grant Fox reopened Grant's Burgers at 2254 Douglas Road, in the former Pacific Prime Rib building near Ferndale Library.

She's the daughter of Lynda and Russ Grant, who owned the 1950s-style drive-in at 1861 Main St. for 23 years They closed the business in March 2008 to retire and make way for Sonic drive-in and the Ferndale Station retail center.

The Grant family had been talking about reopening the business for the past year, led in part by Russ Grant. When he died in August, the family decided to push forward with his wishes.

"I'm glad dad knew we were going to do this; he missed the place," Fox said. "Another main motivation was the reaction of the community. It's been amazing how much support they've given us and how much they also missed it."

Although Grant's had a quiet opening Saturday, Nov. 14, the community has been swamping the small building, Fox said. On its Facebook page, Grant's already has more than 500 online fans, with many writing comments extolling the tastiness of the burgers.

Being at a new location, Grant's has had to make some adjustments. It's no longer a drive-in; customers have to park their cars and walk to a window and place an order. They then have a choice of going into the building to eat, or taking the meal back to their car.

The menu is also limited, but carries most of the traditional favorites, Fox said. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

There's also an employee many are happy to see: Lynda Grant is there regularly, helping her daughter. Her job is familiar to longtime customers.

"She cooks, talks and pours coffee," Fox said with a laugh. "She's still the boss, and she also has my back."

The drive-in became a landmark in the community when it was on Main Street. Lynda started working there 45 years ago, when it was known as Jack's Drive-In.

Back then, the nearby Haggen store property was a big farm, and much of the area was empty. But the drive-in was the place for teens to go after school, where jokes from the owners became a favorite with generations of customers.

"The jokes are something I've had to brush up on," Fox said. "That was very much a part of Grant's Drive-In, and what made it a special place."