Legend has it that the boy band wanted to have the experience of eating at a real American diner. This includes McDonald's Big Mac,[76] Burger Chef's Big Shef[77] and Burger King's Big King. Soon, Big Boy became known around the country, not just in Southern California. After several years of profit losses, Marriott wanted out. (Regardless, the Big Boy condiment used was often simply referred to as "special sauce" on menus chainwide.) Get directions. Well, for one, it's been around in one form or another for a long time since the 1930s. [269] Both properties have been sold to developers. This motivated a common Big Boy mark, derived with elements of both predecessors, (B) and (C). [69] Demand for "the special" soared but Wian sought a "snappy" name, which became Big Boy. Hot Fudge Cake and Strawberry Pie remain popular dessert items chainwide but other items were not necessarily offered by all franchises, and franchises would sometimes change the item's name: The "Slim Jim" became the "Buddie Boy" at Frisch's, and Elby's renamed the "Swiss Miss" as the "Brawny Swiss". Even if you didn't grow up with a Big Boy restaurant in your town, chances are you've still seen pictures or videos of the iconic Big Boy statue or restaurant. Location & Hours. The Top 5 Restaurants in New York City. That's because Big Boy is operated under different names in different parts of the country. With its "Googie" architecture, embrace of car culture, and of course its hamburgers, Big Boy was just the place. and the data that [287][288] The grand opening was pushed back to July 21 due to equipment shipping delays. I was so amused by the youngsterjolly, healthy-looking and obviously a lover of good things to eat, I called him Big Boy," he said. The "flagship" Kip's in OK and there was three more Kip's Big Boy units to follow Kip's #2 122 W main St. OKC, 24 hours, SW 59th St. at Western Ave. Kip's #3 , 205 W. Main St. OKC and 6805 SE 15th St. Midwest City, OK, now a Jimmy's Egg Restaurant. [17][18], Big Boy Japan, also independent of Big Boy Restaurant Group, operates 274 restaurants in Japan. The Marine City, Michigan Big Boy closed in February 2018, to reopen independently by a new owner. HOME OF BURGERS, BREAKFAST & BIG BOY. Southfield, MI 48033, privacy policy | terms & conditions | accessibility. 3 Bob's Big Boy Locations in California (CA, US) Burbank Bob's Big Boy Signal Hill Bob's Big Boy Walnut Bob's Big Boy On menus from that period, it was called, "the Nationally Famous, Original DoubleDeck Hamburger". Please try the search bar instead. In 1967 McDonald's franchise operator Michael James Delligatti "invented" the Big Mac, the Golden Arches' own double-deck burger. 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 . Many of the early successful franchisees would probably not have assets (converted to present value) sufficient to join Big Boy today. [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. Daily: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM. Big Shef. [271] In 2016 both the Ann Arbor, Michigan, restaurant (on North Zeeb Road)[272] and the restaurant in Houghton Lake, Michigan continued to operate but not as Big Boy restaurants. Delligatti later admitted he was inspired by Big Boy, saying "This wasn't like discovering the light bulb. [21] The "West Coast Big Boy" mascot was revised, fiberglass statues molded, schemes created for menus and building designs, and a comic book for children launched. Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC . Download the complete database of 64 Locations 6 States and Territories 63 Cities What a great burger loaded with i", "I grew up in Southern Ca. Reviews on Big Boy Restaurants in New York, NY - Big Boy Gourmet Deli & Grill, Big Boy Deli, Big Boys Deli, Big Boy's Pizza, Zaza Diner, Burger Mania, Burger By Day, Cheeky Sandwiches, Sugar N Coal, Sonnyboy That exchange, as it turns out, was originally scripted to play out much differently. Add a store Claim Listing Some reports say the Big Boy was first called the Fat Boy hamburger until discovering Fat Boy was a protected trademark. There are 64 Big Boy Restaurant locations in the United States as of January 27, 2023. Find a Shoney's Near You View All Locations Sorry, we had trouble finding your location. [81][82] Similarly, when franchisees left Big Boy, they would typically rebrand the Big Boy hamburger: it became the "Superburger" (Eat'n Park),[83] the "Buddy Boy" (Lendy's),[84] the "Big Ben" (Franklin's),[85] and the "Elby Double Deck hamburger" (Elby's). Choose your state to find the nearest one or view the Bob's Big Boy menu. provide. Catering; Locations; Order; Story; Community; . In Southern California, there's Bob's Big Boy, the original restaurant. He's going to be standing coast to coast when we're gone.". When Marriott purchased Big Boy (Wian Enterprises) in 1967, this included Bob's Big Boy. [125], Unlike most modern franchises, the historic Big Boy franchisees differed somewhat from one another in pricing and menus. 8:00 am - 09:00 pm. Eleven Madison Park - This restaurant has been ranked among the top restaurants in the world for several years. Big Boy Hockey Club is home to four MAHA District 3 Champions! The original illustration was by Ben Washam, an animator for Warner Brothers who sketched out a caricature of 6-year-old Richard Woodruff one day over lunch. The owner of a local Big Boy location refused, citing the need to help his employees (via WXYZ). Great. [93], Bob Wian excelled at franchise relations. The Cincinnati-based restaurant chain announced the closures Monday . In February 1937, some local big band musicians, who were regular customers of Bob's Pantry, visited the restaurant. (3%), A location for every 5,844,500 people, in Ohio with about 3% of the total number of Big Boy Restaurant locations, There are Big Boy Restaurant locations in 6 states and territories in the United States, These directions. big boy imlay city, mi < Back to Locations Back to Locations Get Directions. The Story Behind The Big Boy Restaurant Chain, 70 percent national marketplace recognition, the Big Boy burger, which Bob Wian invented, Frisch's owns the rights to the Big Boy trademark and name. Have no fear; we've compiled a list of all the IL Big Boy Restaurants locations. [253] John Bitove, Sr. owned the rights to Big Boy for the remainder of Canada, which he sold to Elias Brothers in 1979. [Advertisement]", "Bob's Fried Chicken Special [Advertisement]", "Hot Shoppes Picnic to Go-Go [Advertisement]", "Super Season Special: Taste the difference fresh makes", "A Thanksgiving Menu That's Really Stuffed! 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. reasonably Differences between the East and West Coast designs, including the statues, created confusion along the Ohio-Michigan border where Frisch's and Elias Brothers operated. [257][258] Like Frisch, Big Boy Japan operates independently of the Big Boy Restaurant Group. These days, Frisch's Big Boy restaurants are actually an independently run group of Big Boy restaurants. [112] Franchises who resisted the change were forced to remove Kentucky Fried Chicken menu items and physically relocate those operations. [56][52][57][note 5] DeCarlo continued drawing in the second year and Lee writing the series through 1961. In doing so, he enshrined Big Boy into movie history, in all the right ways. Find a Big Boy Restaurants near you or see all Big Boy Restaurants locations. Franklin's continued to advertise the Big Boy hamburger and mascotnow with "Franklin's" on the mascot's chef haton March 15, 1977. "[90] If some disruption occurred at a restaurant, such as a new manager or renovation, Wian would postpone advertising until operations would return to his standards. [69][note 11] In 1938, the Big Boy hamburger cost 15[8]:156[73] (equivalent to $2.68 in 2018). He was slimmer, wore a side cap, saddle shoes and striped overalls. fields Elias was the very first Big Boy franchisee. Instead of slicing his hamburger buns in half, he sliced them into three. Believe it or not, Lee and other comic book legends including Bill Everett, Sol Brodsky, and Dan DeCarlo all worked on The Adventures of Big Boy, which debuted in 1956. Have big boy food catered at any event - catering available all over Michigan and in Ohio! The Big Boy hamburger inspired and was the model for other double deck hamburgers. [270], Other franchisees simply left the Big Boy chain. [276] In April 2018, the Coldwater, Michigan location closed, media sources noting multiple health code violations and poor customer 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. [43], Because of the closing or separation of former Big Boy restaurants, many West Coast statues were acquired by private individuals, often traded through eBay. The foursome was performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and were staying in Benedict Canyon in Beverly Hills. Fresh ingredients, custom-crafted spice blends, scratch-made bread and pies, onions sliced daily for our onion rings. 3.5 overall rating across In fact, if you've seen the movie Heat, you've seen the inside of the Big Boy in Burbank, California, where scenes from the movie were filmed. ", "Business Highlights: Elias Big Boy to open here", "Deal brings Big Boys to Spain, Portugal", "Destination Eats Debuts Big Boy Brand In Thailand With Delivery", "We Tried Big Boy Burger Here's How Michigan Tastes in Bangkok", "Big Boy Restaurants arrives in Thailand as brand plans U.S. revival", "When Small Chains Go Abroad, Culture Clashes Require Ingenuity", "Family brands undergo updates to meet diners' changing needs", "Death of Detroit's last Big Boy sparks east side angst", "Tecumseh Big Boy to drop franchise affiliation", "Big Boy in Alma renovation ongoing, plans to reopen as 'Piper's' next year", "Marine City Big Boy sold, will reopen as Valentino's", "Big Boy shares big news; franchise takes over old Toast Restaurant building in Woodhaven", "Big Boy restaurant in Coldwater closes Monday", "Big Boy in Mount Clemens closes after 40 years", "Big Boy on Gratiot in Eastpointe also shuts down", "Big Boy Returns to Nevada With Classic Burgers and Shakes", "PHOTOS: Big Boy restaurant opens for business in Indian Springs, NV", "Bob's Big Boy to Bring Its Famed Burgers and Shakes to Centennial Hills", "Big Boy classic food finds a new spot in the Las Vegas Valley", "Big Boy Tavern opens in northwest Las Vegas Valley", "Big Boy franchise returns to Wisconsin after 26 years", "Press conference at 5:30 p.m. as Big Boy to open in Germantown", "Big Boy is back with opening of restaurant in Mayfield Heights", "Former Thumb-area Big Boy temporarily shuts down after court order, owner says", "Michigan Big Boy owner to terminate franchise agreement due to corporate legal action", Armet & Davis restaurant design renderings for Bob's Big Boy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Boy_Restaurants&oldid=1142094830. Wian was struck with inspiration. [50], Gigantic air inflatable Big Boy figures are available and typically used for restaurant openings and special promotions, where permitted. It's like stepping back in time. Big Boy currently has 74 locations in the United States, according to its website. Writing about the 1976 name change the, (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries), Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 13:30, rights to McDonald's restaurants in Cook County, "Drive-ins and carhops are things of the past", "Big Boy looks to bounce back under new ownership", "Pasquale's site in Royal Oak to become home to Big Boy, possibly Buddy's Pizza", "Big Boy promotes David Crawford as permanent CEO", "Radio entrepreneur, former Big Boy owner Robert Liggett dies", "New 'Bob's' Opens Tuesday: California's Fanciest Hamburger Joint newest 'Home of the Big Boy', "Bob's home of the 'Big Boy' [Advertisement]", "New Big Boy ownership moves forward on comeback, but not without some bumps". 14 reviews. In addition to the Big Boy name, the "Big Boy" concept, menu, and mascot were originally licensed to a wide number of regional franchise holders (listed in the next section). You can also order your food as part of the "Big Boy Viking" buffet, which means your meal includes all-you-can-eat salad, soup, rice, and curry. But what's the story behind this classic restaurant chain? [Advertisement]", "Franklin Rebuked: Elby's Gets OK To Build", "It's Sandwiches vs. [11] Wian said he had five basic rules for building his business: "be a good place to work for, sell to, buy from, and invest in. location details. The Big Boy name, design aesthetic, and menu were previously licensed to a number of regional franchisees. In 2018, Big Boy was sold to a group of Michigan investors and renamed Big Boy Restaurant Group, with David Crawford as chairman, CEO, and co-owner of the new company. [254], Outside of North America, Big Boy Japan owns and operates 274 Big Boy Hamburger Steak & Grill Restaurants in Japan. What made Big Boy such a hit when it first opened? A larger standard menu was developed. The monitor then responds, "In many ways, Bob's Big Boy never left, sir. In January 2020, Tamer Afr replaced Crawford as chairman, CEO, and co-owner. [87], Big Boy offers breakfast, burgers and sandwiches, salads, dinner combinations, and various desserts. After buying Big Boy, Elias Brothers bought Elby's and TJ's. Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC is an American restaurant chain headquartered in Warren, Michigan. By 1979, there were more than a thousand Big Boy restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, and about 20 franchisees. Big Restaurant / Bar / Pizza house Listing ID: 2076658. Have no fear; weve compiled a list of all the Bob's Big Boy locations. [130][note 13] The majority of Big Boy Restaurant Group units are franchised[127] while the majority of Frisch's units are currently company owned. It became a local chain under that name and nationally under the Big Boy name, franchised by Robert C. Wian Enterprises. March 3, 2023, 5:00 a.m. Frisch's placed pickles above bun bottom, and Manners below the bun top. It was the profits from these operations which allowed not only additional drive-ins, but operators to build modern restaurants with large pleasant dining rooms. states and territories get notified of new specials & promotions and get a, Copyright 2022 Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC. 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. Location: Queens, New York Year Established: 2018 Real Estate: Leased Building Sq. "He was about 6 and rolls of fat protruded where his shirt and pants were designed to meet. [69] His fundamental restaurant principles were: "serve the best quality food, at moderate prices, in spotless surroundings, with courtesy and hospitality. [78][79], The Big Boy consists of two thin beef patties placed on a three-layer bun with lettuce, a single slice of American cheese, and either mayonnaise and red relish (a combination of sweet pickle relish, ketchup and chili sauce),[71]:D4 Big Boy special sauce (often called thousand island dressing) or (at Frisch's, Manners and Azar's) tartar sauce on one or each slice of bun. Big Boy built its last drive-in in 1964 and by 1976, only 5 of the chain's 930 restaurants offered curb service. The Los Angeles Conservancy says that Bob's Big Boy has a transitional style, and that's one of the things that makes it such a special building. Most adopted a common graphic design of menus and promotional items, offered by Big Boy but personalized to the franchise. [51], Adventures of the Big Boy (initially The Adventures of Big Boy) was a promotional comic book given free to children visiting the restaurants. [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 always offered the same high-quality meals at competitive prices" (via YouTube). [81][88], Bob Wian developed rules and philosophies about how Big Boy should operate. Movie fans who have never dined at Big Boy are probably still very familiar with the restaurant chain's iconic mascot. According to the restaurant, they get visitors from all around the world who come in hoping to sit at the booth, and they say the wait can be hours-long. This place also includes a large LED Screen with a size. 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. [132] Big Boy Restaurant Group franchise agreements are not renewable but new agreements are required.[127]. Big Boy is a classic American hamburger restaurant, so much so that when The Beatles came to America in 1965 on a tour supporting their album Help!, they wound up eating at the Bob's Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, California. Search reviews. 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 However, Alex Shoenbaum founded the original Parkette in 1947 and became a Big Boy franchise in 1952. These days, "The Beatles Booth" within that Bob's Big Boy is itself famous. Wian raised the funds to buy a diner in Glendale, California by selling his car (he could walk to the restaurant from home), saving money from his dishwashing job (he was eventually promoted to fry cook, but switched jobs to wash dishes at a different restaurant so he could build up his restaurant industry knowledge), and borrowing $50 from his father. View the Big Boy Restaurants menu, read Big Boy Restaurants reviews, and get Big Boy Restaurants hours and directions. CINCINNATI (FOX19) - Frisch's Big Boy says it will permanently close several of its restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky due to the impact of the pandemic. Trying to find a Big Boy Restaurants in the state of Illinois? ", "A Big Boy Kiddies Special [Advertisement]", "Vintage 1957 Eat n Park Big Boy menu old restaurant hamburger at your service", "Now We are featuring a complete curb service [Advertisement]", "Big Boy's Back: 16-foot statue of restaurant icon occupies rightful place", "Big Boy Statue Either Art or Advertising", "Big Boy dumps red checkerboard overalls for cowboy hat", "Frisch's Big Boy Back at Great American Ballpark! To this day, customers at Big Boy restaurants can enjoy double-deck burgers, freshly cut french fries, and milkshakes, and at some locations they can even do it while looking at the classic cars that once flooded the parking lot of the original Big Boy. Data for Machine Learning, Distribution and Journalism, Web Scraping [263] The company is obligated to open 70 restaurants in its overall territory. In the 1980s, the hamburger was removed from the West Coast design; representing a de-emphasis of the hamburger in North American Big Boy restaurants, it also accommodated the Japanese Big Boy restaurants, which do not serve hamburgers on a bun. Suggest an edit. [Advertisement]", "[Big Boy Progress Image at] Janies's Big Boy Webpage: Big Boy Family Newsletter", "Charleston Drive-In Zooms To Huge 10-State Business", "Elby's rejoins Big Boy franchise system", "Big Boy Restaurants Int'l. But everyone could use a helping hand sometimes. Soon after news of Dolly's arrival came to light, the chain cleared up the confusion by tweeting, "Our Big Boy is just sharing the stage for a hot minute with his old pal Dolly.". [38] Rather than modifying a typical statue, the Big Boy restaurants in Manistique[39][40] and St. Ignace,[41] Michigan display full scale moose statues dressed in checkered overalls with "Big Boy" printed across the chest. The first Big Boy was opened up by founder Bob Wian in 1936. Big Boy Hockey Club offers house and travel teams playing in 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U,16U, & 18U Divisions. [118] Franchisees were permitted to subfranchise; these early subfranchisees often used their own name and operated independently: Frisch's licensed Azar's, and Manners; Shoney's licensed Adler's, Arnold's, Becker's, Elby's, Lendy's, Shap's, Tune's, and Yoda's. Check back with customers within a few minutes: "Is everything OK? 900 N Van Dyke Rd, Bad Axe, MI 48413, USA, Big Boy, 2183 W Columbia Ave, Battle Creek, MI 49015, USA, 8510 W Grand River Rd, Brighton, MI 48116, USA, 12920 Brookpark Road, Brookpark, Ohio 44142, USA, 4211 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505, USA, 1310 S Mitchell St, Cadillac, MI 49601, USA, 13961 White Creek Ave NE, Cedar Springs, MI 49319, USA, 16880 Hall Road, Clinton Township, MI, USA, 7447 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241, USA, 1222 South U.S. 23, East Tawas, MI 48730, USA, 28340 Ford Rd, Garden City, MI 48135, USA, Wisconsin Big Boy, N116W15841 Main Street, Germantown, WI 53022, USA, 11432 S Saginaw St, Grand Blanc, MI 48439, USA, 407 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA, 1500 W Washington St, Greenville, MI 48838, USA, 20710 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe, MI 48236, USA, 10587 Highland Rd, Hartland, MI 48353, USA, 1949 S Cedar St, Imlay City, MI 48444, USA, 185 South Frontage Road, Indian Springs, NV 89018, USA, 4940 South Baldwin Road, Orion Township, MI, USA, 30460 John R Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071, USA, 607 E Lake Shore Dr, Manistique, MI 49854, USA, 2555 Gratiot Boulevard, Marysville, MI 48040, USA, 1513 S Saginaw Rd, Midland, MI 48640, USA, 1720 E Sternberg Rd, Muskegon, MI 49444, USA, 29300 23 Mile Rd, New Baltimore, MI 48047, USA, 8876 Corbin Ave, Northridge, CA 91324, USA, 24th Avenue, Port Huron, Michigan 48060, USA, 90 E Tienken Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48306, USA, 3756 Rochester Rd, Oakland charter Township, MI 48306, USA, 9800 W Skye Canyon Park Dr, Las Vegas, Nevada 89166, USA, 26400 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI 48033, USA, 29700 Southfield Rd, Southfield, MI 48076, USA, 1408 South US 27, St Johns, MI 48879, USA, 10450 Telegraph Rd, Taylor, MI 48180, USA, 2701 E Monroe Rd, Tecumseh, MI 49286, USA, 3828 U.S. 31, Traverse City, MI 49684, USA, 7800 Granger Rd, Valley View, OH 44125, USA, 11587 Twelve Mile Rd, Warren, MI 48093, USA, 1180 W Superior St, Wayland, MI 49348, USA, 3366 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte, MI 48192, USA, 4950 Wilson Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49418, USA, Copyright 2022 Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC ", Comments like this made many longtime fans believe Dolly was replacing Big Boy. [21] Bernhard was not impressed with Washam's mascot, saying it was sloppy and had a moronic expression. Wian said, "Hello, Big Boy" to Woodruff, and the name stuck. Some sources, including a 1986 Azar's menu, say 1954. Streetsboro Big Boy Restaurants. The founder of the restaurant also made a little invention that changed fast food as we know it a little something called the double cheeseburger. In April 2017, the Danville Big Boy, the only unit in Illinois, dropped Big Boy and rebranded as the Border Cafe. Many of the other former franchise owners (Shoney's, particularly) have expanded into the former territories of other franchise holders. not [265] The restaurants adapted the menu to local tastes. 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. The serial sometimes called "King of the Giveaways"[21][52] once had distribution estimated at three million copies. However, a January 1977 edition (#237) of the original series bears the Shoney's imprint. [80][89][92] Bob's Big Boy was one of the first restaurant chains to offer health insurance and profit-sharing to employees.
