At 101, Dorothy Zehnder left a legacy of advice for family, friends and fans
Carol Cain
Updated 5 min read
Michigan lost a business icon when beloved restaurateur Dorothy Zehnder — who put Frankenmuth on the map with the Bavarian Inn Restaurant she ran with husband, Tiny Zehnder, and helped set the stage for the city’s ascent as a top tourist draw in the town that celebrates Christmas every day — died July 9.
When someone is that age (she turned 101 on Dec. 1), it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they finally transition.
But somehow it did.
Her passing elicited accolades from folks like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Congressman Dan Kildee, as well as countless folks on social media who posted memories of meeting the diminutive, engaging woman known for her work ethic, skills as a cook and who loved her family, staff and community.
“Dorothy was a Michigan icon,” Whitmer told me. “She has had such lasting impact on our state as an author and as a leader at Bavarian Inn where her hospitality and chicken dinners are the stuff of legend.”
Added Kildee, “For over eight decades, Dorothy dedicated her life to putting a smile on the faces of others through her cooking, baking and hospitality. Her career is simply remarkable, starting as a waitress at the restaurant and eventually running the Bavarian Inn’s many successful ventures.”
Dorothy was a woman ahead of her time, who embraced change and never lost her faith. She inspired people, something I found out firsthand in 2017 when she visited me in CBS Detroit’s studio to tape a ‘‘Michigan Matters” show featuring seniors who defied stereotypes about aging.
Dorothy Zehnder, at left, with Carol Cain during a taping of CBS Detroit's Michigan Matters in 2017.
She had just turned 96, written her third cookbook and was still working six days week. So, what did she do on her one day off? Spent time in the kitchen working on new recipes. (That episode featured another inspiring senior, the late Ed Pobur, who was one of Cadillac’s top selling salesman in the nation into his '80s. Kindred spirits, they hit it off like they had known each other for years.)
Ed Pobur, left, one of the top selling auto dealers at Cadillac in the country into his 80s, shown with Dorothy Zehnder, at CBS Detroit studios to tape "Michigan Matters" in 2017.
Dorothy brought me a copy of her latest cookbook. She signed all 20,000 copies with a personalized message. In mine, she wished me good health and good baking — something she came up with after we talked on the show and after.
I had lamented to her that I couldn’t bake to save my life. My chocolate chip cookies were more fitting as hockey pucks than something anyone, including me, would want to ingest. Hence, I gave up trying. She encouraged me to try again, giving me advice including making sure my oven was calibrated to the right temperature, using real butter, etc.
Dorothy loved to teach and inspire — which she did with many, including her staff. She showed them the right way to make a killer pie or chicken sandwich. In her final visits to the restaurant, she took delight in talking with her staff and former employees who came back once word came out she was stopping by, her granddaughter, Martha Zehnder Kaczynski said.
Dorothy Zehnder dropping a hockey puck for a Saginaw Spirit game.
Her imprint grew as their business grew. Dorothy was inducted in the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame three years ago, was invited to throw out the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game in 2017, dropped a puck at a Saginaw Spirits hockey game, was even a social media sensation for a bit as she was seen dancing with her staff in the kitchen of Bavarian Inn Restaurant to "Harlem Shake."
The family business grew from the restaurant she and Tiny ran once, known as Fischers Hotel. They doubled-down on German food, changed décor to full scale Bavarian and its name to Bavarian Inn Restaurant. (Tiny passed away in 2006; the couple had been married 63 years.)
Tiny and Dorothy Zehnder outside the Bavarian Inn Restaurant.
Dorothy created almost everything on the menu as Bavarian Inn serves over 900,000 dinners each year and is ranked among the top 100 independently owned restaurants in the U.S., according to the National Restaurant Association.
There are seven family members representing three generations among its 1,000 employees. The company also includes the Bavarian Inn Lodge, Covered Bridge Shop, Frank’s Muth, and numerous retail stores within Frankenmuth River Place Shops and Frankenmuth Cheese Haus.
In our last conversation in December, just after her 101st birthday, she reflected about a few things.
Dorothy Zehnder celebrated her 101st birthday in December with family at a 101 Dalmations-themed party. She is photographed here with younger brother, Ray Hecht, and 13 of her 25 great-grandchildren.
She was most proud of her family as they continue to work together in business, without the drama that sometimes happens in family companies.
She lived in the same home she and Tiny bought over 70 years ago and raised their three children in. (The couple had 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.)
She talked about the recent passing of her oldest child, Judy Zehnder Keller, who worked in the family business, and was a trailblazer, too, as the first female city councilwoman elected in Frankenmuth. Keller died of cancer in October.
Both women were diagnosed with cancer within 18 months of each other.
“You never want to see your child sick, no parent should outlive their child," Dorothy told me, adding her faith carried her through, knowing, “Judy is home.”
As we wound down our conversation, I asked if there was anything she might have done differently.
“I wouldn’t change a thing because with all the good and bad things that happened, it made me who I am today. I learned from it all and wouldn’t change a thing,” she added.
She lived a wonderful life, touched many people and leaves Michigan a better place. God bless you Dorothy Zehnder, as you head home.
