Big Boy Restaurants
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.
[27] 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.
The hamburger remained a part of the Frisch's East Coast statues, though the slingshot was eliminated from the figure's back pocket.
In 2002, Tony Matar, a Big Boy franchisee in Canton, Michigan, was cited in violation of local sign ordinances.
[41] 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.
To conform with Gaylord, Michigan's, Alpine theme, the local restaurant's statue previously wore a green Tyrolean hat.
[49] 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.
[53] The three-dimensional Big Boy figure was also used on early ashtrays,[54] salt and pepper shakers,[55] wooden counter displays and as small unpainted pewter models.
Intended to "give the kids something to do while they waited for their food",[58] the book involves the escapades of Big Boy, his girlfriend Dolly and dog Nugget.
[note 10] Bob Wian improvised, creating the first (then unnamed) Big Boy, intending the thing "look ridiculous, like a leaning tower".
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.
[75] His fundamental restaurant principles were: "serve the best quality food, at moderate prices, in spotless surroundings, with courtesy and hospitality.
"[95][86] 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".
[77]: D4 Other than wait staff, employees typically started as dishwashers and busboys, and advanced to short-order cooks, and then possibly to management.
He led 20-person training crews to open new Big Boy restaurants,[75] made periodic nationwide tours of the franchises,[100] was available for consultations and claimed to know every manager's name.
Each regional franchisee typically operated a central commissary which prepared or processed foods and sauces to be shipped fresh to their restaurants.
Most adopted a common graphic design of menus and promotional items, offered by Big Boy but personalized to the franchise.
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.
[118] Franchises who resisted the change were forced to remove Kentucky Fried Chicken menu items and physically relocate those operations.
[122] 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.
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).
Bob Wian also settled trademark infringements allowing the rogue operator to become a licensed franchisee, such as McDowell's Big Boy in North Dakota.
These franchisees are listed below with territories, time span, founders, comic book code (in brackets) and additional notes, as known:
[257] In 1965 Bob Wian sued Mady's for trademark infringement but failed because (his) Big Boy was judged not widely known in Canada.
Big Boy also operated (or planned to open) restaurants in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Brazil, the Philippines and Thailand.
[270] 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.
[276] The Tecumseh[279] and Alma, Michigan[280] 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.
[282] In April 2018, the Coldwater, Michigan location closed, media sources noting multiple health code violations and poor customer reviews.
The restaurant opened in 2016 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, operated in strip mall instead of a larger traditional stand-alone building.
| 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. [ 30 ] The logo, redrawn holding a hamburger (right), was typically used by Wian and several early franchisees: Parkette (Shoney's), [ 28 ] Elias Brothers [ 31 ] and Frejlach's . [ 32 ] 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. [ 33 ] Shown is a common version of the several renderings used. By 2009, a new styled version is sometimes being used again. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] |
| D | 1969. Revised East Coast Big Boy. [ 36 ] |
| 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. |
- Top row (left to right): No. 1, July 1956, West Coast and East Coast versions; No. 13, July 1957, West Coast and East Coast versions.
- Bottom row: No. 155, June 1969, West Coast and East Coast versions; No. 156, July 1969, combined version; No. 1, Shoney's version, 1976 (month unknown).
Franchisees were once required to use their own name with the Big Boy name and character. Some changed logos periodically and these show designs used while a Big Boy affiliate, most dating from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Eat'n Park, Shoney's and JB's are no longer affiliated with Big Boy. Logos for Adler's, Arnold's, Bud's and Chez Chap were not available to the artist.
