Yes, ’tis true: Mike Johnson is shuttering Fu Manchu. Johnson is selling the downtown Maplewood restaurant to Scott Lapp and Tony Vrooman, co-founders of the local networking group River City Professionals. The pair plans to retool the space and the concept before reopening in mid-March as Franklin’s, a burger joint with a twist. The menu will offer multiple variations on the classic, including a pizza burger, a brunch burger – complete with a fried egg and hash browns, a French bistro version with Brie, and several takes on a veggie burger. “We’re trying to get innovative with an American classic,” Lapp explained. Other pub food staples and a few health-conscious selections will round out the offerings; an extensive wine and beer list will complement the whole shebang.
This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2009.