Long-running Slabtown Burgers in Traverse City Sold to Jeff Lobdell

Slabtown Burgers changed hands in early March 2026 when restaurateur Jeff Lobdell purchased the West Front Street eatery from founding owner and realtor Jeff Pownall, who opened the restaurant in 2009 after remodeling the former house that had housed three failed restaurants. The transaction ends roughly 17 years of Pownall’s ownership in the Slabtown district.

The Slabtown location has built a local reputation for a “no‑frills” menu featuring milkshakes, hand‑pattied burgers and fresh-cut fries, an interior decorated with local historical photographs, and a busy atmosphere often described as having a high “grease factor.” The restaurant’s profile extended beyond Traverse City when TripAdvisor “previously recognized the quality of the food by naming it the fifth best burger joint in the United States,” a point neighborhood patrons frequently cite.

Operational oversight is set to shift as well. A photo caption identified, "Pictured, from left, are Scott Parkhurst, operations manager at Restaurant Partners Management who will oversee Slabtown Burgers operations, former owner and business founder Jeff Pownall, and new owner and Traverse City native Jeff Lobdell." Scott Parkhurst’s named role signals an outside management arrangement, though the specifics of any agreement with Restaurant Partners Management have not been disclosed.

Staff at the restaurant described the sale as driven by the previous operators’ decision to step away. Employees indicated the previous operators “did not want to continue running the establishment” and were “hesitant to provide further specifics” about private reasons for the change. Those same staff members said they “have not yet received information regarding potential operational changes” under Lobdell’s ownership.

Key transactional details remain private: no sale price, formal purchase terms, or exact closing date beyond March 2026 were released. A representative for the business “is expected to provide further details on the transition at a later date,” leaving questions about menu changes, hours, staffing and vendor relationships unanswered for now.

Slabtown Burgers has been a local fixture since Pownall’s 2009 reopening of the West Front Street building, and Lobdell’s acquisition marks a notable change for the neighborhood. With Parkhurst slated to “oversee Slabtown Burgers operations” and staff awaiting formal briefings, neighbors and longtime customers can expect additional announcements as the new ownership lays out its plans.