ZEELAND, Mich. — Frank's Restaurant has officially been serving the community of Zeeland for a century.
The celebration began in the spring, when Zeeland's Mayor Kevin Klynstra declared that April 5, 2024, was "Frank's Appreciation Day."
Knowing 100 years of community eats couldn't be contained to one day of celebration, the excitement continued into the summer.
"Frank's is part of peoples' hearts," said Owner Teresa VanderZwaag. "It's part of their traditions. It's part of their way of life. Frank's is part of Zeeland and everything that Zeeland stands for."
On Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. there will be a party at Frank's to honor the milestone.
Throughout the week, staff members have dressed in different decades of attire to commemorate their years of service.
"It's just been a lot of fun prepping and planning the costumes and just having a good time with dressing up and our customers, they love it," said Jill Raak, a Frank's employee.
Frank's opened in 1924 and was owned by the Dionise family for 98 years. In that time, it evolved from being a fruit and confectionary store to a full-fledged dine-in restaurant.
VanderZwaag began collaborating with the Dionise family during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Together, the two families opened a second restaurant, Frank's East.
Although the two restaurants have different menus and hours, the buildings are connected by a hallway and a set of restrooms.
Following the opening of Frank's East, the Dionise family officially sold Frank's to VanderZwaag.
"Frank's has held so many important roles here in the community," VanderZwaag said. "It serves as a place for people to come and meet and fellowship, enjoy great food together and have a great time."
She said Frank's has served as a gathering place for both the best and the worst of times for a century.
"This place has served for celebrations after basketball games, football games that have been won victoriously," she said. "It serves for places where people come together after losses. But it is a place they come every day. Some people come here multiple times a day."
Raak said the restaurant still serves as a local hot spot after all these years, with customers ranging in age from 10 to 95.
"Over the years and the decades, the generations that have passed down from one generation to the next to the next to the next and now to the next. So we're very honored to carry that torch," VanderZwaag said.
