Here’s what we know about the 3rd annual festival dedicated to the famous Michigan culinary creation.
Wait, please tell me you already knew the olive burger was a Michigan thing, right?
How it Started:
The Michigan staple was born in 1923 at Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs in Flint, Michigan. Throughout various name and location changes you can still find the original burger with olive sauce at Kewpee’s in Lansing and Halo Burger in Flint. 100 years after its creation Kewpee’s says the olive burger is still the most popular burger on the menu.
Now, olives aren’t for everyone; you either love them or you hate them. However, a select group of elite individuals here in Michigan who possess a refined palate noticed there was a serious lack of recognition and celebration for Michigan’s signature burger.
That all changed in 2023 with the inaugural Michigan Olive Burger Festival which took place in Lansing, Michigan. In fact, the event so successful organizers the Lansing Foodies succeeded in convincing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare Lansing the “Olive Burger Capital of Michigan”! Well, kind of…