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Grillworks Grows Worldwide After Son Turns Dad’s Hobby Into A Business

“I’m really grateful. I don’t take a second of it for granted,” said Ben Eisendrath, CEO and owner of Grillworks.

A man took his father’s hobby and turned it into a success around the world.

His company is based in Northern Michigan.

Grillworks makes high end wood fired grills for both restaurants and homes.

They are custom ordered and designed to use different types of wood for different flavors.

“Our company always started out weird and stayed a little weird and we don’t do anything the way everybody else does and luckily it’s worked,” said Eisendrath.

A business where every family member has played a role in its success.

So the minute the idea of selling it was brought up…

“I said dad stop, stop, stop, stop and I realized I wanted to start Grillworks again,” said Eisendrath.

Ben Eisendrath was working at AOL when they started to decline, so the decision to take over his dad’s hobby and turn it into a worldwide business was easy.

“He’s getting a real kick out of it,” said Eisendrath. “When he goes somewhere now he calls and tries to find out where the grill restaurant is in that city so he can take his friends and show off the restaurant grills we have.”

And one of those grills is used every day at The Landing in Charlevoix.

“You could just tell that it was made with a lot more care and passion and stuff than the other sort of mass produced equipment,” said Adam Guerriero, manager of The Landing.

Ben even worked at The Landing when he was 16 but the restaurant didn’t know he was the owner of the business until after.

“It’s surreal; I get lots of these surreal moments,” said Eisendrath. “When they called I couldn’t believe it.”

The grills are made in Ellsworth but shipped all over the world.

“We see them installing these grills in Dubai and Russia and all these places and so especially for a lot of the young kids here, they realize that it’s something really special that we do have one here, so close to where they make them as well.” Said Guerriero.

Grillworks just finished up their largest grill that will soon be shipped to Detroit for a new restaurant.

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