Olga’s Kitchen plans new Michigan locations in Big Boy

Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant Olga’s Kitchen is partnering with another well-known chain this summer to expand to three new Michigan cities, where it will offer takeout and delivery from Big Boy restaurants.

The new Olga’s Kitchen locations will operate within Big Boy restaurants at 1513 S. Saginaw Road in Midland, 1720 E. Sternberg Road in Muskegon and 2183 W. Columbia Ave. in Battle Creek.

All three Olga restaurants will operate similarly to ghost kitchens, with Big Boy employees preparing and selling Olga’s food. While Olga’s dishes won’t be available on-site at Big Boy, customers can order them for delivery or takeout.

Olga’s Kitchen, which opened in 1970 in Birmingham, Oakland County, operates 23 Olga’s Kitchen, Olga’s Fresh Grille and Olga’s Express restaurants in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

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The Olga in Midland will begin serving customers on July 10, the Muskegon location will begin on July 17 and the Olga in Battle Creek will begin service on July 24.

Ryan Jones, vice president of operations for Olga’s Kitchen, said the partnership between the two companies is intended to be “indefinite” and that the Olga’s brand has no plans to open physical locations in Midland, Muskegon or Battle Creek.

“We know we have a lot of equity in the state of Michigan and we have customers who want our product, but we’re not building any more stores right now, so we were looking for unique and unconventional ways to introduce Olga’s to other customers,” Jones told Crain’s. “Big Boy is in a lot of areas in the western part of the state and in the northern part of Michigan where we don’t have an Olga’s within 50 miles, so partnering with them made perfect sense.”

This is also not the first time that Olga has partnered with another restaurant to bring her products to a new region.

Three years ago, Olga’s opened in the Millender Center in downtown Detroit, operating out of an Applebee’s Kitchen. Shortly after, a new restaurant opened in Holland, Ohio, operating out of the barbecue restaurant Firepit Grille.

Most recently, Olga opened a location in Toledo, Ohio, last March at a pizzeria called Hindsight Pizza Kitchen.

Jones said the model has proven successful, especially in the Midwest, where Olga’s is best known.

“We know that people know the brand, recognize it, love it, have grown up with it and really want the opportunity to be able to order it,” he said.

Jones said Big Boy was a good partner for the project because of the brand’s recognition and reputation throughout Michigan. Olga’s also sought a multi-unit partner with locations in areas where Olga’s had not yet expanded.

“For more than 85 years, Big Boy has been creating memorable moments with Michigan families,” Frank Alessandrini, Big Boy’s vice president of operations, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Olga’s Kitchen will allow us to connect with new customers and expand our offerings to the communities we serve.”

Jones added that Olga’s Kitchen is looking to expand its partnership with Big Boy into new locations, if the three launches this summer prove successful.

“We are very excited about this partnership with Big Boy, the team at that group has been fantastic to work with,” he said. “(It’s) a great partnership between two brands that people know and love in the state of Michigan.”

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