The Wendy’s in the parking lot of the Courtyard Shops closed in the summer of 2019, and residents have wondered what might go into the space ever since. Recently, a maintenance crew removed the last Wendy’s signs and spruced up the exterior of the vacant building.

A crew member, who did not give his name, said he was part of a group of workers who are regularly dispatched from Wendy’s headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, to perform repairs on the fast-food chain’s buildings.

That’s sparked speculation that the empty Wendy’s could get another tenant. One name that’s floating around is Culver’s, the Wisconsin-based chain known for butter burgers and frozen custard, whose only Ann Arbor outpost is on Jackson Rd.

Spokeswoman Alison Wedig says Culver’s has no current plans for a second Ann Arbor location. East-siders willing to drive a ways will soon have another option, though: a new Culver’s is going up in Canton, on an out-lot at the Ford Rd. Meijer.