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American restaurant chain From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC, doing business as Big Boy, is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Southfield, Michigan.[7] The Big Boy name, design aesthetic, and menu were previously licensed to a number of regional franchisees.
Logo as of 2020 | |
| Big Boy, Big Boy Restaurants | |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Casual dining restaurant |
| Predecessors | Big Boy Restaurants International, LLC Bob's Pantry Elias Brothers Restaurants, Inc. Marriott Corporation Robert C. Wian Enterprises |
| Founded | August 6, 1936 (as Bob's Pantry) Glendale, California, U.S.[1] |
| Founder | Bob Wian |
| Headquarters | Southfield, Michigan, United States |
Area served |
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Key people | |
| Products |
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| Website | bigboy |
Big Boy began as Bob's Pantry in 1936 by Bob Wian in Glendale, California.[8]: 11 The restaurants became known as "Bob's", "Bob's Drive-Ins",[9][10][note 1] "Bob's, Home of the Big Boy Hamburger",[10] and (commonly as) Bob's Big Boy. It became a local chain under that name and nationally under the Big Boy name, franchised by Robert C. Wian Enterprises; Wian only required franchisees to use "Big Boy" and not include his name "Bob's". Marriott Corporation bought Big Boy in 1967. One of the larger franchise operators, Elias Brothers, purchased the chain from Marriott in 1987, moved the headquarters of the company to Warren, Michigan, and operated it until bankruptcy was declared in 2000. 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. 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.[6][3] In January 2020, Tamer Afr replaced Crawford as chairman, CEO, and co-owner.[12] As of April 2024, the company operates 55 total locations in the United States: 51 "Big Boy" branded restaurants in Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, and Ohio; and four additional locations in California branded as "Bob's Big Boy".[13] One Big Boy location also operates in Thailand.[14]
Immediately after Liggett's purchase, Big Boy Restaurants International—then known as Liggett Restaurant Enterprises—negotiated an agreement with the other large franchise operator, Frisch's Restaurants. The Big Boy trademarks in Kentucky, Indiana, and most of Ohio and Tennessee transferred to Frisch's ownership; all other Frisch's territories transferred to Liggett.[15][16][note 2] Thus Frisch's is no longer a franchisee; instead, Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch's are now independent co-registrants of the Big Boy name and trademark.[17] Frisch's operates about 90 Big Boy restaurants in the United States, of which 10 are franchised.[18][19]
Big Boy Japan, also independent of Big Boy Restaurant Group, operates 274 restaurants in Japan.[3][4][20]
In 1936, Bob Wian opened his first hamburger stand in Glendale, California called Bob's Pantry. There, he assembled his special double-decker hamburger. Created as a joke for a customer wanting something different, the novel hamburger began drawing business. The "snappy" name given to the popular sandwich provided a new name for his restaurant: Bob's Big Boy.[21]
In the late 1940s, Wian licensed two operators in the East to sell his Big Boy hamburger, Frisch's Big Boy in Cincinnati and Eat'n Park Big Boy in Pittsburgh; this served Wian's goal to procure and maintain a national trademark.[22] In 1951, the third licensee Alex Schoenbaum of Shoney's Big Boy sold Wian on a formal franchising system, and with the popularity of the drive-in restaurant, a series of franchising and subfranchising Big Boy followed in the 1950s.[23] The franchisees were required to sell the Big Boy hamburger and use their own name with Big Boy, not Bob's.[24]
The chain is best known for its trademark chubby boy with a pompadour hairstyle wearing red-and-white checkered overalls holding a Big Boy sandwich (double-decker cheeseburger). The inspiration for Big Boy's name, as well as the model for its mascot, was Richard Woodruff of Glendale, California.[25] When he was six years old, Woodruff walked into the diner Bob's Pantry as Bob 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 character seen on the company trademark.[note 3]
In 1955, Bob Wian hired Manfred Bernhard, son of graphic designer Lucian Bernhard,[8]: 12 to create a new public image for Big Boy.[26] Bernhard was not impressed with Washam's mascot, saying it was sloppy and had a moronic expression.[26] 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, Bob 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.[note 4] Known as the "East Coast Big Boy", he was copyrighted by Frisch's and used for statues and comic books for Frisch's, and its subfranchisees Manners and Azar's. Before 1954, Parkette (Shoney's) used both versions, though never together.[27][28] Since 1956, the Wian "West Coast Big Boy" design was used exclusively by all franchisees other than Frisch's, Manners and Azar's. In the late 1960s, both characters were redrawn to appear similar, incorporating the checkered outfit, pompadour and hamburger above the raised arm from the West Coast design, and the running pose and direction of the East Coast design. 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.
| A | 1937. The first Big Boy (left) was derived from a sketch by Warner Brothers animation artist Bennie Washam in 1937. A frequent customer, Washam doodled the character on a napkin for Bob Wian for a free lunch.[29] The logo, redrawn holding a hamburger (right), was typically used by Wian and several early franchisees: Parkette (Shoney's),[27] Elias Brothers[30] and Frejlach's.[31] The orientation was also reversed. |
| B | 1952. Wian's first franchisee, David Frisch, developed his own Big Boy character. Dated 1952, the design was copyrighted in 1951 and became known as the East Coast Big Boy. He was the model for fiberglass statues used by Frisch's, and subfranchises Azar's and Manners. This Big Boy varied between blond and reddish blond hair. Unlike West Coast designs (A) and (C), he held the hamburger in both hands and was always running to his left. |
| C | 1956. This scheme introduced the modern Big Boy character and is the model for the iconic fiberglass statues. It replaced Wian's original figure (A), and was actually seen in 1955 Shoney's advertisements. Typically drawn with the hamburger atop his right arm, occasionally the hamburger was raised atop his left arm.[32] Shown is a common version of the several renderings used. By 2009, a new styled version is sometimes being used again.[33][34] |
| D | 1969. Revised East Coast Big Boy.[35] |
| E | 1969. Revised West Coast Big Boy. |
| 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. This motivated a common Big Boy mark, derived with elements of both predecessors, (B) and (C). He retained the look of the West Coast figure (C) but assumed the running pose and orientation of the East Coast figure (B). Nonetheless, similar West and East Coast versions were realized, maintaining the facial style of the previous marks, respectively. Frisch's continued to use (D) through 2016. | |
| F | 1981. To emphasize a full menu the hamburger was removed from the West Coast design. |
| G | 1988. After buying Big Boy, Elias Brothers lowered the left arm completely. |
Early versions of the West Coast Big Boy statues were gigantic, measuring up to 16 feet (4.9 m) tall[36][37] with later versions as short as 4 feet (1.2 m).[38] The early statues always included the Big Boy hamburger above the mascot's raised right arm; much later versions eliminated the hamburger with both arms clutching the suspenders instead. The hamburger remained a part of the Frisch's East Coast statues, though the slingshot was eliminated from the figure's back pocket. Although still used by that chain, some Frisch's restaurants currently display the West Coast statue instead.
Occasionally Big Boy statues have come into conflict with local zoning ordinances. In 2002, Tony Matar, a Big Boy franchisee in Canton, Michigan, was cited in violation of local sign ordinances. The town claimed the statue was a prohibited second sign; Matar asserted that the 7-foot (2.1 m) statue was a sculpture, not a sign.[39] A 2004 compromise allows the existing statue to remain with the words "Big Boy" removed from the figure's bib.[40] When a Brighton, Michigan, franchise closed in early 2015 for financial reasons, zoning codes caused the entire sign – topped with a rotating Big Boy statue – to be taken down before the restaurant could be reopened.[41] In contrast, the planning commission in Norco, California — known as Horsetown USA — was concerned that the statue was not Western enough. In response, the restaurant's Big Boy statue is now outfitted wearing a cowboy hat and boots.[42]
A few other modified statues are in official use. In Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, a Frisch's statue is painted wearing a 1970s Reds baseball uniform with a Reds ballcap added. Frisch's Big Boy hamburgers are sold at two of the park's concession booths.[43] Rather than modifying a typical statue, the Big Boy restaurants in Manistique[44][45] and St. Ignace,[46] Michigan, display full scale moose statues dressed in checkered overalls with "Big Boy" printed across the chest. To conform with Gaylord, Michigan's, Alpine theme, the local restaurant's statue previously wore a green Tyrolean hat.[47] (The restaurant was rebuilt in 2016, and no longer displays the modified statue.)
In March 2017, Frisch's unveiled a restyled statue. The new statue resembles the West Coast design but wears striped overalls like the original East Coast Big Boy.[48] The debut statue wearing a Reds uniform is placed near the existing statue at Great American Ball Park; another is planned for an unnamed Frisch's restaurant.[49] Frisch's will gradually swap the new statues for existing restaurant statues in need of repair.[48]
Because of the closing or separation of former Big Boy restaurants, many West Coast statues were acquired by private individuals, and often traded through eBay.[50][51] Smaller versions of the statues are sold as coin banks and bobblehead figures.[52] The three-dimensional Big Boy figure was also used on early ashtrays,[53] salt and pepper shakers,[54] wooden counter displays and as small unpainted pewter models.[55]
Gigantic air inflatable Big Boy figures are available and typically used for restaurant openings and special promotions.[56]
Adventures of the Big Boy (initially The Adventures of Big Boy) was a promotional comic book given free to children visiting the restaurants. Intended to "give the kids something to do while they waited for their food",[57] the book involves the escapades of Big Boy, his girlfriend Dolly and dog Nugget. From the comic books, children could also join the Big Boy Club, a kids' club offering them free Big Boy hamburgers,[58] decoder cards,[58] pin-back buttons[59] and other premiums. The serial – sometimes called "King of the Giveaways"[26][57] – once had distribution estimated at three million copies.[60]
Manfred Bernhard commissioned Timely Comics to produce the book. 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.[61][57][62][note 5] DeCarlo continued drawing in the second year and Lee writing the series through 1961.[63][note 6] For 17 years, starting in the mid-1970s, Manny Stallman drew the (Marriott) series,[64] followed by Bob Bindig who drew the series until 1995.[57][65][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.[67] In July 1969, the versions merged, and a fluffy brown haired Big Boy appeared.[67] In 1976, Shoney's began publishing their own series instead.[note 8] Contracted to Paragon Products, this version featured an older, leaner Big Boy, with his siblings Katie and Tripp replacing Dolly and Nugget,[57] and was adopted by the JB's and Azar's Big Boy franchises.[69] After 75 issues, it became Shoney's Fun and Adventure Magazine introducing a Shoney's mascot ("Uncle Ed" bear) in place of Big Boy, allowing it to serve Shoney's non-Big Boy restaurants.[57][note 9]
In 1996, after 39 years and 466 issues,[69] Big Boy cancelled the comic book and hired Craig Yoe's Yoe! Studio to revamp the characters and produce a magazine-styled replacement.[70][71] After 63 issues, the Big Boy Magazine was itself cancelled in 2008.[72]
The signature Big Boy hamburger is the original double-deck hamburger.[73]
The novel hamburger started as a joke. In February 1937, some local big band musicians, who were regular customers of Bob's Pantry, visited the restaurant. When ordering, bass player Stewie Strange asked, "How about something different, something special?"[74] [emphasis added].[note 10] Bob Wian improvised, creating the first (then unnamed) Big Boy, intending the thing "look ridiculous, like a leaning tower".[74] Demand for "the special" soared but Wian sought a "snappy" name, which became Big Boy.[74][note 11] In 1938, the Big Boy hamburger cost 15¢[8]: 156 [78] (equivalent to $2.68 in 2018).[79] In 2018, the Big Boy cost $6.49 in Michigan.[80] Several slogans were used from the 1950s through the 1970s to promote the Big Boy hamburger, such as, "A Meal in One on a Double–Deck Bun" and "Twice as Big, Twice as Good". On menus from that period, it was called, "...the Nationally Famous, Original Double–Deck Hamburger...".
The Big Boy hamburger inspired and was the model for other double deck hamburgers. This includes McDonald's Big Mac,[81] Burger Chef's Big Shef[82] and Burger King's Big King.[83][84]
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),[76]: D4 Big Boy special sauce (often called thousand island dressing) or (at Frisch's, Manners and Azar's) tartar sauce on one or more layers of bun. (Regardless, the Big Boy condiment used was often simply referred to as "special sauce" on menus chainwide.) Wian used a sesame seed bun while Frisch's used a plain bun and included pickles.[note 12] The Big Boy hamburger originally called for a quarter pound (4 ounces) of fresh ground beef, but later, franchisees were permitted to use frozen beef patties, and the minimum content reduced to a fifth of a pound to offset increasing food costs. Other specifications were exacting, such as the bun's bottom section being 1½ inches high and the center section ¾ inches, and 1½ ounces of shredded lettuce used.[85]
Originally, the Big Boy hamburger was the only common menu item required of all Big Boy franchisees.[85]
Just as Bob Wian's Big Boy hamburger was served by all franchises, the early franchises also contributed signature menu items. Frisch's provided the "Brawny Lad" and "Swiss Miss" hamburgers, Shoney's contributed the "Slim Jim" sandwich and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake, while Strawberry Pie was introduced by Eat'n Park. 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".[86][87] Similarly, when franchisees left Big Boy, they would typically rebrand the Big Boy hamburger: it became the "Superburger" (Eat'n Park),[88] the "Buddy Boy" (Lendy's),[89] the "Big Ben" (Franklin's),[90] and the "Elby Double Deck hamburger" (Elby's).[91] Shoney's reintroduced the "Classic Double Decker", somewhat different than the Big Boy, about a decade after leaving.[92]
Big Boy offers breakfast, burgers and sandwiches, salads, dinner combinations, and various desserts.[86][93]
Bob Wian developed rules and philosophies about how Big Boy should operate. Besides the Big Boy hamburger and its construction, he attributed most of his success and that of his franchisees to following these rules.[74] His fundamental restaurant principles were: "serve the best quality food, at moderate prices, in spotless surroundings, with courtesy and hospitality."[94][85] He believed "the customer is always right" and instructed employees that, "if any food item is not satisfactory, return it cheerfully and apologize for the error".[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. And be a good neighbor in the community."[95] He also attributed the growth to, "capable management and a conservative policy of not trying to seat more people than can be served or opening more restaurants than can be serviced."[95] 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.[8]: 81
Typical of Big Boy restaurants, Elby's Big Boy used a nine-step process for waiting on dining room customers:[96]
Bob Wian was discerning of employees, hiring wait staff—which he considered a profession—by appearance, intelligence and enthusiasm.[11] He preferred employees with little or no restaurant experience which afforded training in the Big Boy tradition.[85][97] Wian said that he "conned [employees] into believing in themselves ... I put my cooks in chef's outfits, even though they couldn't boil an egg".[76]: D4 Other than wait staff, employees typically started as dishwashers and busboys, and advanced to short-order cooks, and then possibly to management.[85][94][97] Bob's Big Boy was one of the first restaurant chains to offer health insurance and profit-sharing to employees.[98]
Bob Wian excelled at franchise relations. He led 20-person training crews to open new Big Boy restaurants,[74] made periodic nationwide tours of the franchises,[99] was available for consultations and claimed to know every manager's name.[76]: D4 He also assembled the principal franchisees as board members of the National Big Boy Association to participate in leadership. After Wian left, some Big Boy operators began to question the value of their franchise.[100][101][102]
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). Because many of the early franchisees were already in the restaurant business when joining Big Boy, "Big Boy" was added to the franchisee name just as the Big Boy hamburger was added to the franchisee's menu. In this sense, it is confusing when referring to a chain, as each named franchisee was itself a chain and Big Boy could be considered a chain of chains. People tend to know Big Boy not simply as Big Boy but as the franchise from where they lived such as Bob's Big Boy in California, Shoney's Big Boy in the south or Frisch's Big Boy in much of Ohio, Marc's Big Boy in the Upper Midwest, Elias Brothers' Big Boy (or sometimes just Elias Brothers') in Michigan, among many others.
Each regional franchisee typically operated a central commissary which prepared or processed foods and sauces to be shipped fresh to their restaurants.[9][103][104][105] However, some items might be prepared at the restaurants daily, such as soups and breading of seafood and onion rings.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, the emphasis changed from drive-in restaurant to coffee shop and family restaurant. New franchisees without existing restaurants signed on. A larger standard menu was developed. Most adopted a common graphic design of menus and promotional items, offered by Big Boy but personalized to the franchise. Stock plans of restaurant designs were provided by Los Angeles architects Armet and Davis or Chicago architectural designer Robert O. Burton, and modified as needed.
In the 1960s, Big Boy and other drive-in restaurants could not compete with the spreading fast food restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King. Big Boy built its last drive-in in 1964 and, by 1976, only 5 of the chain's 930 restaurants offered curb service.[1][106] Big Boy redefined itself as a full service restaurant in contrast to fast food. Nonetheless, in the late 1960s and 1970s, Bob's, Shoney's and JB's also opened Big Boy Jr. stores, designed as fast food operations which offered a limited menu. Sometimes called drive-ins, these junior stores did not use carhops.[107][108][109] In 1993, Marc's Big Boy similarly developed Big Boy Express stores using dual drive-thrus and no interior dining area.[110] Two Express stores were built, offered for sale a year later and closed in 1995.[111][112]
Several franchises also held Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises and sold that chicken in their Big Boy restaurants; these included Marc's,[113] McDowell's,[114][115] Lendy's and one or more Shoney's subfranchises. The practice was discouraged and Big Boy eventually provided a similar scheme of selling buckets of take out chicken, marketed as Country Style[116] or Country Cousin Chicken.[117] Franchises who resisted the change were forced to remove Kentucky Fried Chicken menu items and physically relocate those operations.[115] However, Marriott sold "Pappy Parker Fried Chicken" in Bob's Big Boys;[118] the Marriott owned brand was also sold in the company's Hot Shoppes and Roy Rogers Restaurants,[119][120] and later Marriott Hotel Restaurants.[121]
Big Boy's origins as a drive-in restaurant required a much smaller investment to open and much lower costs to operate: a small building having no dining room or limited counter space. Thus persons of modest assets could become Big Boy operators. It was the profits from these operations which allowed not only additional drive-ins, but allowed operators to build modern restaurants with large pleasant dining rooms. Many of the early successful franchisees would probably not have assets (converted to present value) sufficient to join Big Boy today.
By 1979, there were more than a thousand Big Boy restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, and about 20 franchisees. Shoney's, Elias Brothers and Frisch's—charter franchisees—controlled the vast majority.[122] These mega franchisees paid practically no fees, e.g., Frisch paid $1 per year for its core four state territory. After Bob's, the four original franchisees (in order) were Frisch's, Eat'n Park, Shoney's (originally called "Parkette") and Elias Brothers, all clustered near the state of Ohio. 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.
Big Boy developed named franchisees in several ways. Very quickly the Big Boy name and even the Big Boy character were being widely used without permission. 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). In 1952, Wian instituted a formal franchise process and Elias Brothers became the first such "official" franchisee paying Wian 1% of sales. Bob Wian also settled trademark infringements allowing the rogue operator to become a licensed franchisee, such as McDowell's Big Boy in North Dakota.[123] 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.[124][125] (An eastern Pennsylvania Elby's franchisee briefly operated as Franklin's Big Boy before dropping Big Boy.)
Acquisitions and mergers also occurred. In the early 1970s, Frisch's acquired Kip's Big Boy; JB's acquired Vip's, Kebo's, Leo's and Bud's which were rebranded JB's. Shoney's acquired the Missouri territory previously assigned to Tote's. After buying Big Boy, Elias Brothers bought Elby's and TJ's. Elby's was unique in leaving and rejoining the Big Boy system. When Marriott purchased Big Boy (Wian Enterprises) in 1967, this included Bob's Big Boy. 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.
Frisch's now owns the "Big Boy" name in a defined four-state region and its franchisee Azar's closed in 2020. Bob's is licensed Big Boy Restaurant Group. Many of the other former franchise owners (Shoney's, particularly) have expanded into the former territories of other franchise holders.
After buying the Big Boy system from Marriott, Elias Brothers planned to phase out franchise names,[126] only generally realized by Big Boy Restaurants International after 2000.[127] This was intended to strengthen the trademark but also prevent defections, such as happened with Shoney's Big Boy retaining identity as Shoney's.[128][129] The same occurred with Eat'n Park, Elby's, Lendy's, JB's, and Abdow's who kept their names after leaving Big Boy. Big Boy now permits operators to informally identify by location such as Tawas Bay Big Boy in East Tawas, Michigan.[130]
Unlike most modern franchises, the historic Big Boy franchisees differed somewhat from one another in pricing and menus. 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.[131]
Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch's Big Boy Restaurants both continue to offer franchises in their exclusive territories, each having 20 year terms. As of 2023, Big Boy Restaurant Group charged a $50,000 franchise fee and an ongoing 4% royalty and up to 3% advertising fees based on weekly gross revenue.[132][133] (In most of Michigan, the franchisee pays a 2% advertising fee and must spend an additional 1% on local advertising. Franchisees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or outside of Michigan pay a ½% advertising fee and must spend 1½% on local advertising.)[134] As of 2020, Frisch's Big Boy charges a $40,000–$45,000 franchise fee, and an ongoing 4% royalty and 2½% advertising fees on gross revenue.[135][note 13] The majority of Big Boy Restaurant Group units are franchised[132] while the majority of Frisch's units are currently company owned.[137] Big Boy Restaurant Group franchise agreements are not renewable but new agreements are required.[132]
Big Boy restaurants were cobranded with at least 34 different names representing various franchisees. 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.[256] In 1965 Bob Wian sued Mady's for trademark infringement but failed because (his) Big Boy was judged not widely known in Canada. The case is considered important in Canadian and international trademark law.[257] In 1973 Elias Brothers bought Mady's and established an Elias Big Boy on Mady's original site.[258] John Bitove Sr. owned the rights to Big Boy for the remainder of Canada, which he sold to Elias Brothers in 1979.[197] During the mid to late 1980's there was one in Nassau, Bahamas.
Big Boy also operated (or planned to open) restaurants in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Brazil, the Philippines and Thailand.[259]
Outside of North America, Big Boy Japan owns and operates 274 Big Boy Hamburger Steak & Grill Restaurants in Japan. Founded in 1977, Big Boy Japan now also operates 45 Victoria Station restaurants in Japan and is a subsidiary of Zénsho Holdings Co., Ltd.[4][20][260] The Japanese Big Boy Restaurants do not offer the Big Boy hamburger or most other American Big Boy menu items, offering a distinct menu instead.[261] They also offer beer and wine.[261] Zensho had purchased Big Boy Japan from the ailing Daiei in 2002 for 8.65 billion yen.[262][263] Like Frisch, Big Boy Japan operates independently of the Big Boy Restaurant Group.[264]
In 2019, Singapore-based Destination Eats signed a franchise agreement with the Big Boy Restaurant Group to initially open restaurants in Thailand,[265] and later in Australia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines.[266] In May 2020, the first Thai Big Boy restaurant opened in Bangkok, operated as a delivery only service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[267] A second restaurant was opened in Pattaya in October 2020.[268] The company is obligated to open 70 restaurants in its overall territory.[269]
A previous franchise briefly operated at the beginning of the 21st century with three Big Boy restaurants in Bangkok and one in the southern beach town of Pattaya, but the business ultimately failed because the native Thai customers did not understand nor appreciate American-style food at that time.[270] The restaurants adapted the menu to local tastes. Some Thai customers regarded the Big Boy statues as religious icons or had superstitions about them.[270][271]
The previous Michigan-based owner of the Big Boy chain, which chiefly franchised previous Elias Brothers Big Boy restaurants in Michigan, has suffered a gradual loss of franchised restaurants. About 175 Big Boys existed in July 2006,[272] compared to 76 in July 2019.
On April 16, 2017, the last Big Boy restaurant in the city of Detroit closed.[273] The Big Boy in Fenton, Michigan, was expected to close in 2017.[274] Both properties have been sold to developers. Likewise, in 2016, the Jackson, Michigan, Big Boy closed after the site was purchased by a developer.[275]
Other franchisees simply left the Big Boy chain. In April 2017, the Danville Big Boy, the only unit in Illinois, dropped Big Boy and rebranded as the Border Cafe.[276] In 2016 both the Ann Arbor, Michigan, restaurant (on North Zeeb Road)[277] and the restaurant in Houghton Lake, Michigan continued to operate but not as Big Boy restaurants.[275] The Tecumseh[278] and Alma, Michigan[279] restaurants announced they will allow their franchise agreements to expire on November 1, 2017, and early 2018, respectively, and both will continue to operate independently. The Marine City, Michigan Big Boy closed in February 2018, to reopen independently by a new owner.[280] However, in the same month, Big Boy added a new franchisee, an existing restaurant reopening as a Big Boy, in Woodhaven, Michigan.[281] In April 2018, the Coldwater, Michigan location closed, media sources noting multiple health code violations and poor customer reviews.[282][283]
Company-owned restaurants have also closed for under-performance.[284][285][286]
In 2018, Big Boy was sold to a group of Michigan investors and renamed Big Boy Restaurant Group. The company moved its headquarters from Warren to nearby Southfield in 2020.[287][7]
In August 2020, a partnership was announced with Terrible Herbst to expand into Southern Nevada.[288] On November 8, 2020, the first Big Boy restaurant opened in Indian Springs, Nevada.[289] A second Big Boy opened in May 2022 in the Centennial Hills neighborhood of Las Vegas;[290] called Big Boy Tavern, it includes a bar and small casino area.[291][292] In June 2021, it was reported that a Big Boy restaurant will open on July 14, 2021, in Germantown, Wisconsin, a Milwaukee suburb. The franchisees will also operate two Big Boy food trucks and plan to open additional Big Boy restaurants in southeastern Wisconsin over a three-year period.[293][294] The grand opening was pushed back to July 21 due to equipment shipping delays.[295]
Big Boy Restaurants International tried a new fast casual concept known as Big Boy's Burgers and Shakes. The restaurant opened in 2016 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, operated in strip mall instead of a larger traditional stand-alone building.[296][274][297] The restaurant was closed by January 2020.[298][299]
In November 2020, the Big Boy restaurant in Sandusky, Michigan was stripped of its franchise when it refused to comply with Michigan's COVID-19 restrictions. It now operates as Sandusky Family Diner.[300][301]
In June 2023, Big Boy began to open restaurants with no table service and a fast-food menu and, harkening to their origin, called them Bob's Big Boy. The first two locations announced are in Michigan in the Detroit suburb of Farmington[302] and Lansing.[303]
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