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Hunter House, a 1950s white porcelain diner on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, is opening a location on East William Street in Ann Arbor.

(Photo by Chris Richards)

A popular Metro Detroit diner plans to bring its greasy hamburgers to downtown Ann Arbor this spring.

Hunter House Hamburgers, which has been a mainstay on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham for 62 years, signed a lease to take over the former Firehouse Subs space at 609 E. William St. The sub shop closed in January after less than a year.

“It’s exciting, it’s our second location. …It’s kind of a big jump for us,” said Kelly Cobb, whose grandparents purchased Hunter House in 1981. Kelly’s mom, Susan, has since taken over business operations.

The 1950s white porcelain diner in Birmingham is 900 square feet, has counter stools and a small and focused menu. The restaurant is known for its sliders, which Cobb described as “greasy, oniony burgers on smashed little steamed buns.”

It’s the kind of hamburger, Cobb said, that customers have to try to understand.

Hunter House gets its meat from a butcher at Eastern Market in Detroit, and cooks at Hunter House then mash onions into the burger meat. A hamburger costs $1.99, and a cheeseburger costs $2.20. Cobb said some customers come in and order 10 double cheeseburgers, while others might order two single hamburgers.

Hunter House specializes in "greasy, oniony" sliders.

“There’s something for everyone because you can build your own burger the way you want it,” he said.

The menu also includes fries, chili cheese fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, coney dogs, chili, breakfast foods and milkshakes.

Cobb said opening a location in Ann Arbor gives the restaurant some ability to expand its offerings; it will add a milkshake and malt station, and possibly a veggie burger or another vegetarian offering. But the core of the business — inexpensive hamburgers and cheeseburgers — will remain the focus.

“We want to keep all the ingredients, all the quality that’s been around with Hunter House in Birmingham at the Ann Arbor location,” Cobb said.

Cobb, who attended the University of Michigan, said the location on East William Street is accessible for both university students and professionals working downtown. He said his family has been talking about opening a second Hunter House location for several years.

“We wanted to take it outside of the Detroit area, and we felt Ann Arbor was obvious,” he said.

Hunter House Hamburgers will open in the former Firehouse Subs space on East William Street.

He added: “(Hunter House is) a family business, it has always been a family business and it will always be a family business. We’re just hoping to grow it.”

Colliers International Ann Arbor represented the building's landlord, Gus Boutsikakis, and Hunter House in the deal. Michigan-based burrito restaurant chain Menna's Joint is preparing to open in the former Toppers Pizza space, adjacent to Hunter House.

Cobb estimated the Ann Arbor restaurant will employ about 25 people. He said Hunter House will serve lunch and stay open for late-night business. Cobb said the restaurant will probably start offering a delivery service in the fall.

Cobb plans to open Hunter House this spring, before May. The space will be renovated to replicate the Birmingham Hunter House.

“It will be white with black lettering, tiles and aluminum,” Cobb said. “We’re going to try to keep it the same as the Birmingham location, same feel, just new.”

And just like the restaurant on Old Woodward Avenue, Cobb said Ann Arborites will be able to smell Hunter House come to town.

“There’s nothing we can do about (the smell),” Cobb joked. “It’s the way we make the burgers. …That smell goes right up through the venting, so everyone within a 10-block radius will know when we open.”

The news about Hunter House opening comes as the owner of Ann Arbor's iconic Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger works to finalize a lease for a new location. Owner Rich Magner said in January that he has a new restaurant space secured and he hopes to announce the location soon.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at 734-623-2584, email her lizzyalfs@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter.