Olga's Kitchen fans outside of metro Detroit will soon have new ordering options available after the longtime restaurant chain teams up with another iconic Michigan brand.
Olga's Kitchen, known for its signature gyros served on its famous Olga bread, has partnered with Big Boy, home of the Big Boy Burger and Slim Jim Sandwich, as the host kitchen.
Classic Olga's items, including the Original Olga and famous Olga's snacks, will be available to order online and will be made in the kitchens of three Big Boy restaurants out of state.
Ryan Jones, vice president of Olga's Kitchen, said the locations represent new territory for the chain, which originated in metro Detroit more than 50 years ago.
Jones said he was looking for a Michigan partner to host and operate his brand, and Big Boy “felt like a great fit.”
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Host kitchens are distinct from what are known as “ghost,” “virtual” or “dark” kitchens, which prepare food for other brands exclusively for delivery, and instead create menu items in collaboration with other restaurant brands.
“There's a lot more transparency around where our food comes from,” Jones says. “There's no secrets.”
But don't get too excited just because you can still go to your local Big Boy restaurant, sit down and enjoy an Olga's sandwich.
There are some points to note.
The first three locations are outside of metro Detroit in Battle Creek, Midland and Muskegon.
Olga's has partnered with three Big Boy locations to sell and produce select Olga's products, but the products are for carry-out only; select Big Boy restaurants do not offer Olga's products for dine-in.
Customers order from Olga's Kitchen through the website and pick up at a Big Boy host kitchen location or order through a third-party platform such as DoorDash.
Big Boy stores will take orders and employees will create Olga's orders that can be picked up at the store, but there will be no Olga's signage at Big Boy or delivery.
“You have pretty much every option except eating in a restaurant,” Jones said.
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The rollout of Big Boy Restaurants' Host Kitchens will begin at the Midland location on July 10, followed by the Muskegon location on July 17 and the Battle Creek location on July 24.
Owned and operated by Livonia-based TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants, Olga's Kitchen is partnered with three other host kitchens.
Ohio has an Applebee's (run by TEAM Schostak in the Millender Center in downtown Detroit) and two other restaurants.
Jones said the three companies currently operating Host Kitchens are doing well, with product partnerships bringing in steady additional sales.
“In Northeast Ohio and Michigan, our brand has a really strong local reputation and people know our brand,” he said. “Even in parts of the state where we don't have a brick-and-mortar store, there's a strong demand for our brand.”
Jones said there are no royalties for host partners and the process is seamless for partners who order Olga products from food distributors.
Customers will never see Olga's sign.
“We continue to maximize our business and as part of that is adding strategic host kitchen partners like Olga's where it makes sense to do so,” Frank Alessandrini, Big Boy's vice president of operations, said in an email to the Free Press.
The three locations were chosen as “high traffic areas for the host kitchens to thrive,” Alessandrini said.
“We're excited to bring two great Michigan brands together,” Alessandrini said. “We're excited for much more from this partnership and look forward to a hugely successful first step with the launch of Host Kitchen.”
Jones said Olga's is confident about partnering with Big Boy because it operates more than 10 stores.
“We will see how it goes in three stores to start with, but we are confident that sales will be significant and we plan to open additional stores in other locations.”
Olga's Kitchen is owned and operated by Livonia-based TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants, whose restaurant operations also include Applebee's, MOD Pizza restaurants and Wendy's locations throughout Michigan.
Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send your food and restaurant news to sselasky@freepress.com . Follow @SusanMariecooks on X (formerly Twitter). Support local journalism and become a Free Press digital subscriber.
