That's because the chain started out as a carhop. Like the Golden Arches of McDonald's or the shining bell of Taco Bell, the statues outside of Big Boy restaurants, featuring a chubby little boy in overalls holding a plate with a hamburger on it, are something of a fast food icon, with more than 70 percent national marketplace recognition, meaning that seven in 10 people know what you're talking about when you bring up Big Boy. However, as Glendale Councilwoman Ginger Bremberg said, his memory lives on. Please try the search bar instead. Here, you can indulge in all-day breakfast, including eggs . Simply click on the Bob's Big Boy location below to find out where it is located and if it received positive reviews. Big Boy's mascot has become an iconic character in the fast-food industry and in doing so, has helped the chain remain in business for nearly a century. Frisch's owns the rights to the Big Boy trademark and name in Kentucky and Indiana, and most of Ohio and Tennessee, and in return gave Liggett Restaurant Enterprises LLC (the owner of Big Boy Restaurants LLC) their Big Boy franchise rights in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Simply click on the Big Boy Restaurants location below to find out where it is located and if it received positive reviews. "It is Dolly's time to shine now with our chicken sandwich. $13.59. The foursome was performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and were staying in Benedict Canyon in Beverly Hills. Download the Frisch's app for online ordering and . BIG BOY RESTAURANT - VALLEY VIEW - 37 Photos & 44 Reviews - 7800 Granger Rd, Valley View, OH - Menu - Yelp Big Boy Restaurant - Valley View 45 reviews Claimed $ Burgers, American (Traditional) Edit Open 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM See hours See all 38 photos 7800 Granger Rd Edit business info Max & Erma's 85 Carrabba's Italian Grill 69 out of 100 [86] Shoney's reintroduced the "Classic Double Decker", somewhat different than the Big Boy, about a decade after leaving. View the Bob's Big Boy menu, read Bob's Big Boy reviews, and get Bob's Big Boy hours and directions. 5 star rating. Acquisitions and mergers also occurred. Unlike other comics that came under fire for featuring violence or that were censored by the Comics Code Authority, the Big Boy comic series was thought to be a wholesome, family-friendly option, perhaps one of the reasons why The Adventures of Big Boy comic was awas a hit for so many years. ", "Frisch's Big Boy Loses His Checkered Pants", "Rare Ceramic Big Boy Figural Salt & Pepper Shakers from the 1950s/1960s", "Big Boy Pewter Figurine Statue Collector Series #2 Ltd Ed of 500 "1956", "Inflatable Mascot for Frisch's Big Boy Restaurants - Landmark Creations", "End of an Era for King of the Giveaways", "After 40 years, remembering the enchanted era of Eat'n Park", "Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae: Sol Brodsky, Big Boy and Marvel's Unknown 1960s comics (Updated)", "The Humble History of The Adventures of Big Boy", "Big Boy cartoonist Manny Stallman dies here at 70", "Adventures of the Big Boy Cover Gallery", "1977 Big Boy Restaurants comic book ADVENTURES OF THE BIG BOY #237 comics MLK", "Oldest and Biggest Comic Book Turning 25", "Restaurant icon Big Boy shrinks from competition", "Big Boy Magazine, YOE Studio!, 1997 Series", "From Dishwasher to Owner of Chain of Restaurants Is the Story of Bob Wian", "Big Boy's original Bob takes it easy in Newport", "Vintage famous Bob's Big Boy menu 1938 Burbank CA | #42474613", "The Big Mac: Americana on a sesame-seed bun", "Burger Chef has something big for big appetites. [252] In 1973 Elias Brothers bought Mady's and established an Elias Big Boy on Mady's original site. Tradition that will keep your taste buds wanting more. If you grew up eating at Big Boy, chances are you mostly remember the burgers. For a fast food restaurant, Big Boy has a long history. The new statue resembles the West Coast design but wears striped overalls like the original East Coast Big Boy. [11] He preferred employees with little or no restaurant experience which afforded training in the Big Boy tradition. After purchasing Big Boy in 1987, Elias Brothers intended to standardize the name and menu, but Bob's, Frisch's and McDowell's (now known as Bismarck Big Boy) continue to offer distinctions from the standard Big Boy menu. That illustration was the basis for all of the restaurant memorabilia which, in turn, inspired the look of the comic series. Have no fear; weve compiled a list of all the Big Boy Restaurants locations. It was written on the side cap in the comic book, but otherwise, it was written on the sleeve and the franchise name written on the side cap. [263] The company is obligated to open 70 restaurants in its overall territory. What's new! Copyright 2022 Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC The restaurant was eventually forced by court order to shut its doors, according to Bridge Michigan. [14][15][note 2] Thus Frisch's is no longer a franchisee, but Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch's are now independent co-registrants of the Big Boy name and trademark. Instead of slicing his hamburger buns in half, he sliced them into three. Thank you! [112] Franchises who resisted the change were forced to remove Kentucky Fried Chicken menu items and physically relocate those operations. Have no fear; weve compiled a list of all the Bob's Big Boy locations. The oldest Big Boy restaurant in the country is Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California, which was built in 1949. But in other parts of the country, like the midwest, you grew up eating Frisch's Big Boy, and others may have found themselves at Abdow's Big Boy, Shoney's Big Boy, and more. Through the 1950s and 1960s, the emphasis changed from drive-in restaurant to coffee shop and family restaurant. The Beatles even dined at the Burbank location while on tour in 1965 when they craved a taste of "a real American diner," according to the L.A. Tourism and Convention Board. [52][note 9], In 1996, after 39 years and 466 issues,[64] Big Boy cancelled the comic book and hired Craig Yoe's Yoe! George Boury referred to paying $500,000 to break their franchise agreement in the late 1970s. [52][60][note 7], Because of the distinct East and West Coast Big Boy mascots, dual versions of Adventures were produced, identical except for the detail of the Big Boy figure. [123][124] The same occurred with Eat'n Park, Elby's, Lendy's, JB's, and Abdow's who kept their names after leaving Big Boy. Filter by rating. The state with the most number of Big Boy Restaurant locations in the US is Michigan, with 54 locations, which is about 84% of all Big Boy Restaurant locations in the US. [34] A 2004 compromise allows the existing statue to remain with the words "Big Boy" removed from the figure's bib. We do not store or In the film's opening scene, the villainous Dr. order online. resell data. [8]:81, Typical of Big Boy restaurants, Elby's Big Boy used a nine-step process waiting on dining room customers:[91], Bob Wian was discerning of employees, hiring wait staffwhich he considered a professionby appearance, intelligence and enthusiasm. He's back!" sized screen. In fact, it's been around longer even than McDonald's, which was opened up in 1940. Sadly, Woodruff passed away in 1986 at the age of 54 after a long illness. During the bankruptcy, the chain was sold to investor Robert Liggett, Jr., who took over as chairman, renamed the company Big Boy Restaurants International and maintained the headquarters in Warren. Find a Shoney's Near You View All Locations Sorry, we had trouble finding your location. Ft.: 2,500 Rent: $7,609.00 Per Month Lease Expiration: 4/3/2034 Contact About the Sale . Southfield, MI 48033, privacy policy | terms & conditions | accessibility. [285][286] In June 2021, it was reported that a Big Boy restaurant will open on July 14, 2021, in Germantown, Wisconsin, a Milwaukee suburb. Big Boy, 2183 W Columbia Ave, Battle Creek, MI 49015, USA. 40850 Van Dyke Ave Sterling Heights, Michigan 48313 Big Boy Restaurant - 29700 Southfield Rd. Bob's Big Boy restaurants, born in Southern California before covering the nation under different names, led the way in restaurant architecture and gave us the double-decker hamburger. Some Thai customers regarded the Big Boy statues as religious icons or had superstitions about them.[265][266]. 2 reviews. Frisch's Big Boy Restaurants is a restaurant chain with its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. But, as it turns out, this wasn't the case. Some sources, including a 1986 Azar's menu, say 1954. They're operated by Big Boy Japan Co., Ltd., and are a popular chain of family restaurants, or famiresu, in the country. You can download the complete list of 64 Big Boy Restaurant locations data as an Excel file, along with geo-coded addresses, phone numbers and open hours from our data store. These franchisees are listed below with territories, time span, founders, comic book code (in brackets) and additional notes, as known: Mady's Big Boy of Windsor, Ontario, was not a franchisee, though sometimes identified as one and using a similar looking mascot. Big Boy currently has 74 locations in the United States, according to its website. The menu looks a lot different, too. When the city's outdoor dining program began in the summer of 2020, it was rightly celebrated as salvation keeping restaurants in business after months of forced . Reports, Web Scraping "Big Boy has and always will be dedicated to the health and safety of our customers and staff," the chain said in a statement. Choose your state to find the nearest one or view the Bob's Big Boy menu. Most popular Bob's Big Boy locations: Map: Show Map Prev 1 2 3 4 Next Are we missing your local Bob's Big Boy location? Lettering in early issues was credited to. In 2002, Tony Matar, a Big Boy franchisee in Canton, Michigan was cited in violation of local sign ordinances. Big Boy Scramble. [47] The three dimensional Big Boy figure was also used on early ash trays,[48] salt and pepper shakers,[49] wooden counter displays and as small unpainted pewter models. And be a good neighbor in the community. Kids who dined at Big Boy were given copies of the comic book, and The Adventures of Big Boy was actually a hit. Franchise Information", "Big Boy Franchise Management Franchise Agreement", "George Abdow, co-founder of Springfield-area Abdow's Big Boy restaurant chain, dies at 82", "From the archives: Nostalgia on the menu", "Presenting the taste sensation you'll never forget! The name "Bob's" would be used by all Marriott owned Big Boys and became common in parts of the eastern U.S. and elsewhere, far away from Bob's historic territory. In 1952, Wian instituted a formal franchise process and Elias Brothers became the first such "official" franchisee paying Wian 1% of sales. The trip was memorable for The Beatles in more than one way they also got to meet music legend Elvis Presley. Get directions. we In Southern California, there's Bob's Big Boy, the original restaurant. [259], In 2019, Singapore-based Destination Eats signed a franchise agreement with the Big Boy Restaurant Group to initially open restaurants in Thailand,[260] and later in Australia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines. Most adopted a common graphic design of menus and promotional items, offered by Big Boy but personalized to the franchise. Add a store to let us know about it. The company was named "Parkette Foods" until 1971, when Ray Danner changed it to "Shoney's Big Boy Enterprises". [256] Zensho had purchased Big Boy Japan from the ailing Daiei in 2002 for 8.65 billion yen. [Advertisement]", "July 4th. [125], Unlike most modern franchises, the historic Big Boy franchisees differed somewhat from one another in pricing and menus. That exchange, as it turns out, was originally scripted to play out much differently. Eventually, Wian named his double-decker burger after Woodruff, and when the burger took off in popularity, he changed the name of his restaurant from Bob's Pantry to Bob's Big Boy. The practice was discouraged and Big Boy eventually provided a similar scheme of selling buckets of take out chicken, marketed as Country Style[111] or Country Cousin Chicken. Big Boy may seem iconically American, but travel across the sea to Japan and you'll be able to dine at more than 270 Big Boy restaurants. West Virginia. Although still used by that chain, some Frisch's restaurants currently display the West Coast statue instead. But if you've ever tried to reminisce about your days at the Big Boy with someone from another part of the country, both of you probably got confused, and fast. [117] These mega franchisees paid practically no fees, e.g., Frisch paid $1 per year for its core four state territory. [102][103][104] In 1993, Marc's Big Boy similarly developed Big Boy Express stores using dual drive-thrus and no interior dining area. Frisch's continued to use (D) through 2016. Big Boy Hockey Club is home to four MAHA District 3 Champions! Full liquor license (transferable). In the first year, Adventures of the Big Boy was managed by Sol Brodsky, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Bill Everett, Brodsky, and Dan DeCarlo. All, including Bob's, remain in operation today, albeit Elias Brothers is simply known as Big Boy, and Eat'n Park and Shoney's dropped Big Boy affiliation in the 1970s and 1980s. Find a Bob's Big Boy near you or see all Bob's Big Boy locations. Other specifications were exacting, such as the bun's bottom section being 1 inches high and the center section inches, and 1 ounces of shredded lettuce used. But what's the story behind this classic restaurant chain? Add a store Claim Listing But everyone could use a helping hand sometimes. Catering; Locations; Order; Story; Community; . The hotel giant owned the restaurant company for the next 20 years. "Big Boy" wasn't written on the chest of the East Coast mascot. ), In March 2017, Frisch's unveiled a restyled statue. Its corporate headquarters is in Detroit. This 2500 sqf and high ceilings restaurant is equipped with a large kitchen, walk in fridge and freezer as well as a wood fired pizza oven and ready to open. [22][23] Since 1956, the Wian "West Coast Big Boy" design was used exclusively by all franchisees other than Frisch's, Manners and Azar's. (6%), A location for every 9,878,000 people, in California with about 6% of the total number of Big Boy Restaurant locations, 2 Now, if a double-decker hamburger sounds familiar to you, there's a reason. [20] When he was six years old, Woodruff walked into the diner Bob's Pantry as Bob Wian was attempting to name his new hamburger. The . Many of the early successful franchisees would probably not have assets (converted to present value) sufficient to join Big Boy today. [257][258] Like Frisch, Big Boy Japan operates independently of the Big Boy Restaurant Group. What made Big Boy such a hit when it first opened? [50], Gigantic air inflatable Big Boy figures are available and typically used for restaurant openings and special promotions, where permitted. - Shap's", "Print ads in The Contest of the Century", "Graph of Shoney's net income since 1974; At Shoney's, details count", "Restaurateur, innovator and philanthropist Ted Fuller of Gregg's has died", "2 local Big Boys close; only 2 are left", "Corporation closes another TJ's Big Boy", "Tote's Home of the Big Boy New Restaurant Opening [Advertisement]", "Applications Now Being Taken (Help Wanted Advertisement)", "Levittown's Newest Citizen is here [Advertisement]", "Big Boy Restaurant Discontinues Operation", "Matchbook - Vip's Big Boy Hamburgers Cheyenne Torrington WY FULL", "VIP's officials announce sale of restaurants", "[Advertisement] Mady's Big Boy Turns Back the Clock on Food Prices! When ordering, bass player Stewie Strange asked, "How about something different, something special? [65][66] After 63 issues, the Big Boy Magazine was itself cancelled in 2008. Marriott Corporation bought Big Boy in 1967. Big Boy Restaurants Menu. Big Boy might be synonymous to some with double-deck burgers, but for others, the restaurant brings to mind classic cars. Bob Wian, needing Big Boy restaurants operating in multiple states to maintain national (U.S.) trademark protection, offered very generous franchise agreements to Frisch's, Eat'n Park and Parkette (Shoney's). [56][52][57][note 5] DeCarlo continued drawing in the second year and Lee writing the series through 1961. The restaurant appears in the film as the location where one of the characters works as a cook, and who is later convinced by Robert De Niro to join a group of bank robbers. [67], The signature Big Boy hamburger is the original double deck hamburger.[68]. Bob's is licensed Big Boy Restaurant Group. The state with the most number of Big Boy Restaurant locations in the US is Michigan, with 54 locations, which is about 84% of all Big Boy Restaurant locations in the US. Not even four years later, however, Marriott sold half of those locations to Restaurant Enterprises Group Inc. for a cool $65 million (viaLos Angeles Times). [58][note 6] For 17 years, starting in the mid-1970s, Manny Stallman drew the (Marriott) series,[59] followed by Bob Bindig who drew the series until 1995. Movies including Short Cuts, Bounce, What's Love Got to Do With It, Unstrung Heroes, and Reality Bites, and an episode of the television show Mad Men, were filmed at the Big Boy in Downey, California too. [93], Bob Wian excelled at franchise relations. Wian was struck with inspiration. Trying to find a Bob's Big Boy? Very quickly the Big Boy name and even the Big Boy character were being widely used without permission. 26300 Telegraph Rd # 102 only, we are not responsible for how it is used. scrape publicly available data. In fact, its architecture, along with its 35-foot-tall neon sign, are so iconic that the Burbank Bob's Big Boy was declared an official historical landmark by the California Office of Historic Preservation in 1992. Watch kitchen (number panel) for completed order and promptly serve meals to table. big boy imlay city, mi < Back to Locations Back to Locations