Big Boy is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Southfield, Michigan; it is currently operated in most of the United States by Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC.[8] The Big Boy name, design aesthetic, and menu were previously licensed to a number of similarly-named regional franchisees. The parent franchisor company has changed over the system's lifetime: it was Bob's Big Boy from 1936 to 1967, then Marriott Corporation until 1987, then Elias Brothers' Big Boy until 2000. Since 2001, control of the trademark in the US has been split into two territories, between Big Boy Restaurants in most of the country, and Frisch's Big Boy as an independent entity in a few states in the Midwest.
As of May 2025, Big Boy Restaurant Group operates 55 total locations in the US: 51 Big Boy branded restaurants in Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio; 6 as Dolly's Burgers and Shakes in Frisch's territory (before being shuttered in late October 2025); and four additional locations in California branded as Bob's Big Boy.[9] One Big Boy location also operates in Thailand.[10] Frisch's operates 31 Big Boy restaurants in the US, of which 13 are franchised.[11][12] Big Boy Japan, also independent of Big Boy Restaurant Group, operates 274 restaurants in Japan.[5][2][13]
Food
The Big Boy hamburger
The signature Big Boy hamburger is the original double-deck hamburger.[14] The novel hamburger started as a joke. In February 1937 some local big band musicians, who were regular customers of Bob's Pantry in Glendale, California, visited the restaurant. When ordering, bass player Stewie Strange asked, "How about something different, something special?" Bob Wian improvised, creating the first (then unnamed) Big Boy, intending it to "look ridiculous, like a leaning tower". Demand for the special soared and Wian sought a "snappy" name, which became Big Boy. In 1938, the Big Boy hamburger cost 15¢[17] .[18] In 2018, the Big Boy cost $6.49 in Michigan.[19] Several slogans were used from the 1950s through the 1970s to promote the hamburger, such as A Meal in One on a Double–Deck Bun and Twice as Big, Twice as Good.
Mascot
The restaurant chain is best known for its mascot, a chubby boy with a pompadour hairstyle, wearing red-and-white checkered overalls and holding a Big Boy sandwich. The inspiration for the restaurant's name, as well as the model for its mascot, was Richard Woodruff of Glendale, California.[33] When he was six years old, Woodruff walked into the diner Bob's Pantry as Wian was attempting to name his new hamburger. Wian said, "Hello, Big Boy" to Woodruff, and the name stuck. Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam sketched Richard's caricature, which became the original character seen on the company trademark.
In 1955, Wian hired Manfred Bernhard, son of graphic designer Lucian Bernhard, to create a new public image for Big Boy. Bernhard was not impressed with Washam's mascot, saying it was sloppy and had a moronic expression. 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.
In 1951, Wian's original franchisee Dave Frisch developed a slightly different Big Boy character. He was slimmer, wore a side cap, saddle shoes and striped overalls. Having reddish or blonde hair, he was portrayed in a running pose. Known as the East Coast Big Boy, he was copyrighted by Frisch's and used for statues and comic books for the franchise and its subfranchisees Manners and Azar's. Before 1954, Parkette (Shoney's) used both versions, though never together.
Regional franchises
Further reading
External links
References
- Susan Selasky. Pasquale's site in Royal Oak to become home to Big Boy, possibly Buddy's Pizza Detroit Free Press, August 9, 2019, retrieved August 13, 2019^
- About Us Big Boy Japan, retrieved July 25, 2015^
- Tyler Clifford. Big Boy promotes David Crawford as permanent CEO