Today was a big day for both nostalgia fans and anyone who (like my dad) would go to Hot N Now during their school lunch breaks to stock up on 39-cent hamburgers, drinks, shakes, and more before quickly eating them back at school. Throughout my childhood, I would pass by the old Hot N Now in Holland before it was torn down in ~2010.
In fact, for most of the 2000s, the last Hot N Now in business was a single store in Sturgis, which quietly kept the brand alive. However, 20 years after the company first declared bankruptcy, something incredible happened: a new location opened today in Wayland.
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Not only did it open, but it opened with a massive line backed up to the highway.
For the first time, two generations of my family shared Hot N Now. But did it hold up to how my dad loved it back in 1987? Let’s see if this legacy brand has stood the test of time.
Hot n’ Now Returns To West Michigan
The new Hot n Now, now co-owned by Gun Lake Investments CEO Monica Kind and long-time owner Jeff Konczak under HNN Holdings, LLC, opened today in Wayland, right across the street from Gun Lake Casino and Resort. Everything about the restaurant remains unchanged from its heyday, from the building design to the menu. Well, there’s one key difference: the prices.
Gone are the ultra-cheap prices that Hot N Now were known for, but notably, the food is the same. This is significant when comparing the value of the food with that of other value menu items from fellow fast food chains, such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s.
Order #168 consisted of two hamburgers, fries, a Coke Zero, and two new menu items : the Cheesy Taters and Apple Turnover. I know the Olive Burger is the crown jewel of the Hot N Now experience, but olives are my least favorite food in the world, so…sorry.
My dad said the burger was exactly how he remembered it, but we both agreed there wasn’t much substance to these burgers for $2.77 each. The fries, too, were nothing special, but the real winners of the Hot N Now menu are the cheesy taters. These were surprisingly filling and cheesy. The apple turnover was also excellent. It was warm and gooey inside and a good bang for your buck.
Ultimately, if you liked Hot N Now in the past, you’re in luck: you’ll be teleported back in time. However, it’ll be interesting to see if it sustains popularity as a new Alpena location will be under construction soon. One thing is for sure, though: lots of people are pumped that Hot N Now is back…