Who could forget the chocolate celebration cake from Bill Knapp’s? A popular eatery, this 1968 ad from the Grand Rapids Press announces the opening of a third Bill Knapp’s location right across from Woodland Mall at 3270 28th St. SE. (close to where the Kentwood Ashley Home Furniture is now located).
It was 10 years earlier, Bill Knapp’s had opened its first location at 28th Street and Eastern followed by a second at Plainfield Avenue at Fuller Avenue. The iconic New England Town Hall architecture, with an interior motif to complement the theme, became a recognized symbol of a family-friendly destination known for its made from scratch food items. At one time the Michigan chain had 69 locations in the Midwest and Florida, but by 2002 it had closed the last of its locations. One of the last to close was a location at 777 54th St. SW in Wyoming, which is now a former Arnie’s location.
And while the restaurants are gone, the bakery delights are not forgotten. Today, many of the establishment’s baked goods — including the chocolate cake — are available at local grocery stores such as Meijer and Family Fare as well as online at billknapps.com.
Image from the July 8, 1968 Grand Rapids Press found at kdl.org in the newspaper archives.
