Big Boy named franchisees

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The Big Boy name, concept, menu, and mascot were originally licensed to a wide number of regional franchise holders. 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, 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.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] 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.^[5] 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 that offered a limited menu. Sometimes called drive-ins, these junior stores did not use carhops.^[6]^[7]^[8] In 1993, Marc's Big Boy similarly developed Big Boy Express stores using dual drive-thrus and no interior dining area.^[9] Two Express stores were built, offered for sale a year later and closed in 1995.^[10]^[11]

Several franchises also held Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises and sold that chicken in their Big Boy restaurants; these included Marc's,^[12] McDowell's,^[13]^[14] 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^[15] or Country Cousin Chicken.^[16] Franchises who resisted the change were forced to remove Kentucky Fried Chicken menu items and physically relocate those operations.^[14] However, Marriott sold "Pappy Parker Fried Chicken" in Bob's Big Boys;^[17] the Marriott owned brand was also sold in the company's Hot Shoppes and Roy Rogers Restaurants,^[18]^[19] and later Marriott Hotel Restaurants.^[20]

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 that allowed not only additional drive-ins but also operators to build modern restaurants with large, pleasant dining rooms. Many of the early successful franchisees would 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.^[21] 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.^[22] 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.^[23]^[24] (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 now owns the "Big Boy" name in a defined four-state region, and its franchisee Azar closed in 2020. Bob's is a 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,^[25] only generally realized by Big Boy Restaurants International after 2000.^[26] This was intended to strengthen the trademark but also prevent defections, such as happened with Shoney's Big Boy retaining identity as Shoney's.^[27]^[28] 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.^[29]

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.^[30]

Roster of named operators

Big Boy restaurants were co-branded 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:

Franchisors and independent operators

The parent franchisor company has changed over the system's lifetime: it was Bob's Big Boy from 1936 to 1967, first as an independent company, then under Marriott Corporation ownership after 1967; then Elias Brothers' Big Boy until 2000. Since 2001, control of the trademark in the U.S. has been split into two territories, between Big Boy Restaurants in most of the United States, and Frisch's Big Boy as an independent entity in a few states in the Midwest. Additionally, Big Boy Japan operates independently of the Big Boy Restaurant Group.

Bob's Big Boy

Bob's operated in California, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont; and Indiana, Ohio, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania toll roads and airport locations operated in several states by the Marriott Corp. or others, 1936+, founded by Robert C. "Bob" Wian

The original Big Boy chain, which in Wian's time was confined to Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. Because Marriott developed and acquired Big Boy restaurants elsewhere, principally the northeastern U.S., Bob's developed a more diverse territory and identity. JB's Big Boy purchased Bob's in Nevada and Arizona. Currently, Bob's operates only five restaurants – all in Southern California. Bob's units are the only operators under the domain of the Big Boy Restaurant Group now permitted to use a franchise name for public identity. Wian was the original chairman of the Big Boy Board of Directors. [A]

Elias Brothers' Big Boy

Elias Brothers operated in Michigan, Northeastern Ohio, Ontario, Canada, 1952–2000, founded by Fred, John and Louis Elias.

In 1938 the brothers opened Fred's Chili Bowl in Detroit and later the Dixie Drive-In in Hazel Park, which would become the first Elias Brothers Big Boy. Considered the "first official franchisee" because they were the first to apply to Bob Wian formally.^[31]^: 111 They worked with Wian, Schoenbaum and Manfred Bernhard to create the 1956 Big Boy character design and launch the comic book. Owned the Big Boy system from 1987 through 2000, when the bankrupt company was sold to Robert Liggett. Many Michigan units continue operations stripped of the Elias Brothers name, and these are the vast majority (90%) of Big Boy Restaurant Group's Big Boy stores. Fred Elias became a member of the Big Boy Board of Directors.^[32] [F]

Big Boy Restaurants

As of April 2024, Big Boy Restaurant Group 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".^[33] One Big Boy location also operates in Thailand.^[34]

Frisch's Big Boy

Frisch's operates in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and owns rights to most of Tennessee. It operated in Florida until the early 1990s, 1947+, founded by David Frisch.

The Cincinnati restaurant chain and first franchisee began serving Big Boy hamburgers in 1946 but opened their first Big Boy Drive-In restaurant in 1948; Frisch's now operates 31 Big Boys, all of which are franchised. 11 are franchised to other owners, while the rest are franchised to either Don Short or Cheryl White, current managers of the company. Frisch's subfranchised to Azar's and Manners, which used the Frisch's styled Big Boy, to Milton and David Bennett in 1955, who operate as Frisch's in northwest Ohio and also licensed Elby's to operate three Big Boy units in the upper Ohio Valley until 1971. In 2001, Frisch's became the perpetual owner of the Big Boy trademark in most of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee and received $1.2 million to relinquish all other Big Boy territories to Big Boy Restaurants International, to whom Frisch's is no longer a franchisee or licensee.^[35] On August 24, 2015, Frisch's was sold to an Atlanta-based private equity fund, ending family ownership and control of the chain.^[36]^[37] [X]

Big Boy Japan

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.^[38]^[39]^[40] 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.^[41] They also offer beer and wine.^[41] Zensho had purchased Big Boy Japan from the ailing Daiei in 2002 for 8.65 billion yen.^[42]^[43] Like Frisch, Big Boy Japan operates independently of the Big Boy Restaurant Group.^[44]

Franchises that became independent

Abdow's (Western and Central Massachusetts, Connecticut, 1963–1994, founded by George and Ron Abdow and their sister Phyllis Abdow-LaVallee)^[45]^[46] Abdow's opened as a Hi-Boy franchisee in 1959, bought a Big Boy franchise in 1963 and changed the corporate name to Abdow's Big Boy in 1965.^[47] Abdow's left Big Boy in 1994 over menu conflicts with Elias Brothers and value served for the franchise fees, removing 18 restaurants from the national chain.^[48]^[49] Now defunct, many converted to Elxsi Corporations's Bickfords Family Restaurants or remain vacant. [N]

Eat'n Park (metro Pittsburgh, 1949–1975,^[50] founded by Larry Hatch and William Peters) Hatch and Peters were supervisors at Isaly's in Pittsburgh.^[51] On Isaly's business in Cincinnati, Hatch saw the success of the Frisch's Big Boy Drive-In prompting contact with founder Bob Wian, who needed national exposure to gain national trademark protection.^[52] Within a year Eat'n Park opened as the second Big Boy franchisee. When the 25-year franchise agreement expired, Eat'n Park dropped Big Boy, attributed to the loss of drive-in popularity but primarily motivated by the end of the $1 per year license fee the franchise had enjoyed.^[53] Pittsburgh area Big Boy rights were reassigned to Elby's in 1977.^[54] [D]

Elby's (Northern West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Maryland,^[55] 1956–1984, 1988–2000, founded by brothers George, Ellis and Michael Boury) Named after a brand of flavoring syrup sold by the Bourys' restaurant supply business.^[56]^{[note 1]} Originally acquired the Big Boy rights to northern West Virginia through Shoney's.^[58]^[59]^[36] In 1960 Elby's expanded into Ohio,^[60] licensed through Frisch's. Six years later, Bob Wian awarded Elby's franchisor rights to Pennsylvania, excluding the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas; Pittsburgh was awarded Elby's in 1977.^[54] When Frisch's refused existing terms on a fourth Ohio unit in 1971,^[61] Elby's withdrew from Big Boy affiliation in Ohio, leading to a long running trademark battle by Frisch's.^[62] In August 1984 Elby's paid $500 thousand to buy out its Big Boy franchise, four months after Shoney's—franchisor for Elby's West Virginia stores—broke affiliation.^[63]^[36]^[64]^{[note 2]} Opened units in Maryland after leaving Big Boy. The Elby's name and most company restaurants were sold to Elias Brothers in 1988 becoming Big Boys again. (George and Michael Boury retained nine Ohio units that could not become Big Boys because of nearby Frisch's operations; they were rebranded as Shoney's restaurants until placed for sale in 1993.^[65]) Although officially stripped of the Elby's name, identity was so strong that the Elby's name continued in print advertisements.^[66]^[67] The last remaining Elby's closed in 2000 in response to the Elias Brothers financial crisis. [E]

Franklin's (Eastern Pennsylvania, 1966–1976, founded by Marvin and Joseph Franklin) Subfranchised by and originally operated as Elby's.^[68] Sued Elby's in 1975 for receiving commissions from approved vendors. inflating prices of supplies, and using continued franchising as an incentive.^[69] Elby's denied the charges,^[70] which were settled out of court in 1978.^[71] Franklin discontinued use of the Elby's name in 1976, but initially continued to operate as Big Boy Restaurants.^[72]^[73]^{[note 3]} Elby's sued Franklin's. In August 1978, a federal court cancelled Franklin's contracts with Elby's, awarded Elby's an undisclosed cash settlement and enjoined Franklin's from use of the "Elby's" and "Big Boy" names, food items, recipes and other materials.^[77] Nonetheless, Franklin's renamed the "Big Boy" the "Big Ben" and adopted a Benjamin Franklin theme.^[78] Elby's subsequently built new restaurants adjacent to several Franklin's units.^[79]^[80] The 12 unit chain was sold to Hershey's Foods and Friendly's Restaurants in 1985.^[81]

JB's (Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Washington, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut;^[82] 1961–1988, founded by Jack M. Broberg.) The first JB's Big Boy opened in 1961 in Provo, Utah. In the 1970s JB's expanded by acquiring neighboring Big Boy franchisees: Vip's, Leo's, Kebo's and Bud's. After Marriott refused granting additional territory, in 1984, JB's sued to leave Big Boy. The parties settled, JB's paying $7 million in exchange for additional territory, including central and northern California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona where it operated as Bob's Big Boy; JB's also purchased 29 existing Bob's Big Boy restaurants from Marriott.^[83]^[84] Citing a lack of benefit except use of the Big Boy symbol for its over $1 million annual franchise fees, in 1988 JB's allowed its Big Boy franchise to expire, removing 110 units from the Big Boy system.^[85] As of December 2016, fifteen JB's Restaurants operate in five states.^[86] [H]

Lendy's (Western Virginia, 1955–1964, founded by Leonard Goldstein) Owned by Goldstein but operated as Shoney's 1955–1959.^[59] Territory proximity to Yoda's angered Goldstein and concurrent franchise with Kentucky Fried Chicken antagonized franchisor Alex Schoenbaum, prompting Lendy's to leave Big Boy.^[87]^[88] Renamed the "Big Boy" hamburger as the "Buddy Boy" and created a Buddy Boy mascot similar to Frisch's Big Boy character. Goldstein replaced the Big Boy statues with statues of Buddy Boy.^[89]

Marc's (Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, 1958–1995, founded by Ben Marcus and Gene Kilburg^[90]) Owned by the Marcus Corporation, Marc's Big Boy debuted in Milwaukee in November 1958.^[91] The chain grew to 4 units by 1962, and 22 units by 1970, doubling this number within 4 years^[92] and eventually operated as many as 64 Big Boys over a 4 state territory.^[93]^[94] Among these, acquiring Illinois Top's Big Boy restaurants by 1974—rebranding those in Chicago suburbs Marc's.^[95] In 1989, Marc's Big Boy Corporation was renamed Marc's Restaurants^[96] and a two-year experiment launched completely removing Big Boy at two of its stores, the test demonstrating no effect on business. In 1992, the Marc's format was upscaled and renamed Marc's Big Boy Cafes;^[93] in 1993 13 Big Boy Cafes were converted to Marc's Cafe and Coffee Mills, and the company launched 2 Big Boy Express drive-thru stores.^[94]^{[note 4]} The following year, the 13 Cafe and Coffee Mill restaurants were sold to a group of employees, with 3 remaining Big Boys and 2 Big Boy Express units offered for sale.^[97] In 1995, the company closed its last Big Boy operation.^[98] Some former units later operated as Annie's American Cafe and as Perkins Restaurants. However, in 2017 the Marcus Corporation sold Big Boy hamburgers at the Kil@wat restaurant in its downtown Milwaukee hotel;^[93]^[99] in March 2017, the sandwich is priced at $11 on the lunch menu^[100] and $12 on the dinner menu both served with fries.^[101] [J] Now known as Aria Café and Bar at Saint Kate hotel, as of 2024 the Big Boy goes for $18.^[102] [J]

Shoney's/Parkette (Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Philadelphia, PA, 1952–1984,^{[note 5]} founded by Alex Schoenbaum), Originally called the Parkette, in 1952 it became Parkette Big Boy Shoppes. An unrelated "Parkette Drive-In" had opened in Kentucky^[103] so in 1954, a public contest for a new name resulted in Parkette becoming Shoney's, which was also a reference to founder Alex "Shoney" Schoenbaum.^[104] Shoney's also subfranchised to Arnold's, Becker's, Elby's,^[36] Lendy's, Shap's, Tune's, and Yoda's,^[58]^[59] and many using the Shoney's name. Ray Danner, the Nashville Shoney's franchisee purchased the company in 1971 and five years later dropped Big Boy from the company name.^[105]^{[note 6]} In April 1984 Shoney's—by then the largest Big Boy franchisee with 392 units—paid $13 million to break its contract with Big Boy, allowing expansion into Frisch's and other franchisees' Big Boy territories.^[63]^[106] Schoenbaum became a member of the Big Boy Board of Directors.^[32] [M] [P]

Other franchisees

Adler's (Lynchburg, Virginia, 1958–1960, founded by Abe Adler)^[107] Became a Lendy's Big Boy, when Adler sold the business to Leonard Goldstein of Lendy's.^[108]

Arnold's (Folsom, Pennsylvania, 1955–?, founders unknown) Arnold's and Tune's operated in the Philadelphia area.^[109]

Azar's (Northern Indiana, Colorado, 1953–2020,^[110]^[63]^{[note 7]} founded by brothers Alex, David and George Azar) Opened in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, as a Frisch's subfranchise and in 1967 expanded to the Denver, Colorado, market. Operated 26 units in 1984.^[63] Alex Azar's son, George Azar, became CEO.^[112] After closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the last Azar's Big Boy closed permanently.^[113]^[114] Alex Azar became a member of the Big Boy Board of Directors.^[32] [T]

Becker's (Rochester and Buffalo, New York, 1956^[115]–1965,^[116] founded by Abe Becker) Shoney's opened a restaurant in Rochester in the mid-1950s which may have become Becker's Big Boy.^[58] By 1957, Becker's was operating four Big Boy restaurants in Greater Rochester.^[117] Trying to expand too quickly created a financial crisis and the end of the franchise.^[118]

Bud's (Montana, Wyoming, 1966–197?) Operated two units. Acquired by JBs in the 1970s.^[119]

Chez Chap (Westmount, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, 1978–?, founded by Chapman Baehler) Baehler was Bob Wian's stepson.^[120]

Don's (Burlington, Vermont, 1984, founded by Donald Allard) One of several chain restaurants operated by Allard.^[121]^[122] Restaurant was rebranded as Bob's Big Boy about 1986,^[123] and closed, with plans to construct a Red Lobster Restaurant on the site in 1991.^[124] As of 2020, there has been an Olive Garden on that site for some years.

Frejlach's (Illinois, 1954–196?, founded by Irvin Frejlach) Added Big Boy to their established chain of ice cream shops.^[125] Unlike other franchisees, the stores did not directly use the Big Boy name; they remained Frejlach's Ice Cream Shoppes not Frejlach's Big Boy.^[126] The company also owned rights to McDonald's restaurants in Cook County (Chicago), Illinois which were sold back to Ray Kroc in 1956. Irvin's brother Lucian "Lou" Frejlach became a member of the Big Boy Board of Directors.^[32]

JB's (Canada - Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, 1969–1979, founded by John Bitove Sr.) Bitove, a well-known Canadian businessman, was the franchisee for Canada generally, along with Roy Rogers Restaurants, both Marriott owned brands. JB's of Canada grew to 32 Big Boy restaurants before selling to Elias Brothers.^[127]

Kebo's (Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area before JB's dba Bob's, ?–1974, founded by W. Keith Grant.) "Kebo" came from the owners, Keith, Ed and Bob. Two units were sold to JB's in 1974.

Ken's (Maryland, Washington DC,^[128] 1963–?, founded by Bill Bemis) named in honor of Bill Bemis' father Ken Bemis, who founded the White Log Coffee Shop chain.^[129]^[130] Three Maryland Ken's Big Boys operated in 1969.^[128] "Ken's" became "Bob's" in the early 1970s. [K]

Kip's (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, 1958–1991, founded Fred Bell, Thomas W. Holman and James Reed) Bell owned and operated Kip's of Texas, while Holman and Reed owned and operated Kip's of Oklahoma and Kansas.^[131] Acquired by Frisch's in 1972. Kip's territory was transferred to Big Boy Restaurants International in 2001. Bell became an original member of the Big Boy Board of Directors. [B]

Leo's (Spokane, Washington, Montana, 1966–1971, founded by Leo A. Hansen Jr.^[132]) The first Leo's Big Boy opened in Great Falls, Montana in 1966. Grew to four units before being acquired by and renamed JB's in 1971, Hansen becoming a vice-president of JB's Big Boy.^[133]

Manners (Northeastern Ohio (Cleveland TV market), 1954–1979, founded by Robert L. and Ramona Manners) Franchisee through Frisch's, used the Frisch styled mascot design. Like Frisch's, Manners was already established having opened Manners Drive-In in 1939, 15 years before becoming a Big Boy franchisee.^[134] Paid Frisch's $10 per month for each location. In 1968 Manners Big Boy was sold to Consolidated Foods (now known as Sara Lee Corporation). Marriott purchased the 39 units in 1974 and five years later dropped the name "Manners".^[135] Marriott sold 26 remaining restaurants to Elias Brothers in 1985.^[136] [W]

Mark's (Hyattsville, Maryland, 1960^[137]–1962?^[138]) A single unit existed at 3050 East-West Parkway, Hyattsville, which was a Ken's Big Boy in 1964.^[138]^[128]

McDowell's (North Dakota, 1954–1960 independently as "Big Boy Drive-Inn", 1960+ as franchise, founded by Harley McDowell) A trademark infringement suit against McDowell was filed by Wian in 1959 ultimately resulting in a franchise agreement.^[139] Operates exclusively as a drive through. McDowell's name was dropped and the remaining store is now called the Bismarck Big Boy. Along with Big Boy hamburgers, the single restaurant sells flying pizza-burgers and french fries by the pound with chicken gravy. [L]

Mr. B's (New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine,^[140] 1963–1969,^[141] founded by Manfred Bernhard)^[31]^: 75^[142] Operated a restaurant in Keene, New Hampshire and Brattleboro, Vermont.

Shap's (Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1959–1964?, founded by I. Shapiro, Pem Cooley, and E. D. Latimer) Franchised by Shoney's. Shap's was abbreviated for Shapiro's. Operated two small units in Chattanooga. Latimer bought out the other partners and changed the name to its franchisor's, Shoney's.^[143]

Ted's (Rhode Island, 1964–?, founded by Edmund D. Fuller III)^[144]^[145]

TJ's (Rochester, Batavia and Syracuse, New York, 1972–?, founded by Anthony T. Kolinski, John Gazda and John Giamartino)^[146] Grew to 9 stores by 1986.^[147] TJ's was purchased by Big Boy (Elias Brothers). Elias closed 4 stores in 1992^[148] and sold one Syracuse store to a local investor. It closed 3 more Syracuse restaurants in 1994.^[149]^[150]

Tops (Illinois, 1956–1993, founded by Lucian Frejlach^[151]) Operated primarily in the suburbs of Chicago. By 1974, the Chicago area stores became Marc's Big Boys, while the central Illinois units remained Tops.^[95] [Q]

Tote's (Missouri, 1964–197?, founded by Edward R. Todtenbier)^[152]^[153] Todtenbier was a Frisch's franchisee in Anderson, Indiana, and planned to open 33 Tote's Big Boys in Missouri, 9 in the St. Louis area.^[154] In 1972 the Missouri Big Boy territory was reassigned to Shoney's.^[155] [U]

Tune's (Philadelphia and Levittown, Pennsylvania, 1956–1963,^[156]^[157]^[158] founded by Jack Engel^[159]) In the mid to late 1950s Alex Schoenbaum seeded various franchises including Tune's.^[58]^[160] Two drive-in restaurants opened.^[161] By the early 1960s, the Levittown unit closed^[162] and the other was rebranded as Shoney's.

Vip's (New Mexico, Texas,^[163] Wyoming,^[164] 1962–1982. founded by Daniel T. Hogan and James O'Conner^[165]) Vip's Big Boy of New Mexico was acquired by JB's Big Boy in 1972 but continued using the Vip's name until rebranded in 1982.^[166]^[82] (An unrelated Vip's Restaurants of Salem, Oregon, was not a Big Boy franchisee but sold units to JB's Big Boy, which operated them as Bob's Big Boy.^[83] The non-Big Boy, Salem-based chain had 53 locations at its peak, all sold and rebranded, including 35 to Denny's in 1982 and 16 to JB's in 1984.^[167]) [R]

Yoda's (Western Virginia, founded by Jack Young and Bill Schroeder) Young was Leonard Goldstein's (Lendy's) brother-in-law. Merged with Lendy's.^[88]^[59]

Unauthorized uses

Mady's Big Boy of Windsor, Ontario, was not a franchisee, though sometimes identified as one and using a similar looking mascot.^[168] 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.^[169] In 1973 Elias Brothers bought Mady's and established an Elias Big Boy on Mady's original site.^[170] John Bitove Sr. owned the rights to Big Boy for the remainder of Canada, which he sold to Elias Brothers in 1979.^[127] During the mid to late 1980's there was one in Nassau, Bahamas.

Notes

References

↑ Advertisement (April 15, 1956). "New 'Bob's' Opens Tuesday: California's Fanciest Hamburger Joint newest 'Home of the Big Boy'". Los Angeles Times. p. G8 – via Newspapers.com. His original capital was $300...
↑ Cunningham, Libby (April 25, 2013). "Behind-the-scenes tour of Frisch's Commissary provides tasty preview of chain's Founder's Day". WCPO TV-9. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017. That sense of pride fills the Frisch's Commissary, where workers prepare everything from pie crusts to sandwich spices and fresh hamburgers that will be shipped out to Frisch's 93 restaurants in Columbus, Dayton, Louisville, Lexington and of course, Cincinnati.
↑ Elias Bros. Restaurants v. Treasury Department, 549 N.W.2d 837 (Mich. 1996) ("Food for both company-owned and franchised restaurants is produced at a facility called the Commissary, which Elias Brothers owns and operates.").
↑ Novotney, Steve (March 5, 2016). "The Elby's Empire: Part 4 - My Elby's". Weelunk. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
↑ Eagan, John C. (November 17, 1976). "Drive-ins give way to fast food, counter operations". The Day. New London, CT. Associated Press. p. 18. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
↑ "Bob's launches junior version". Valley News (West ed.). Van Nuys, California. February 23, 1971. p. 21–A. Retrieved February 9, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
↑ "Shoney's Jr. is now open... [advertisement]". The Charleston Daily Mail. August 26, 1966. p. 11. Retrieved February 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "J.B.'s Opens 2 'Junior' Drive-Ins". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. September 19, 1969. p. 10B. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
↑ Bednarek, David J. (June 4, 1993). "Marcus returns to fast-food's beginnings with Big Boy Express". The Milwaukee Journal. Journal/Sentinel, Inc. p. C6 – via NewsBank.(subscription required)
↑ Waterbury, Kathleen (September 14, 1994). "'BYE, BOY Marcus selling cafes, Big Boys". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Journal/Sentinel Inc. p. 1D – via NewsBank.(subscription required)
↑ "Big Boy". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 31, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
↑ "Weekend Special! [Advertisement]". Manitowoc Herald Times. August 23, 1968. p. 5. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "A Good Idea for the Hungry Hunter [Advertisement]". Billings Gazette. October 19, 1957. p. 2. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
1 2 "Business beat". The Bismarck Tribune. May 27, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
↑
. . .
- "New at Frisch's [Advertisement]". Journal News. Hamilton, OH. May 19, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "Save $1.00 [Advertisement]". Manchester Journal Inquirer. Manchester, CT. January 18, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "Bring the coop, take home the chicken! [Advertisement]". Kenosha News. Kenosha, WI. April 13, 1979. p. 21. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "Introductory offer [Advertisement]". Benton Harbor News Palladium. May 22, 1974. p. 13. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑
. . .
- "Great idea! [Advertisement]". Weirton Daily Times. June 13, 1969. p. 12. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "July 4th. Chicken Sale! [Advertisement]". Mansfield News Journal. July 2, 1975. p. 13. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Bob's Fried Chicken Special [Advertisement]". Los Angeles Times. January 5, 1979. p. IV-24. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Hot Shoppes Picnic to Go-Go [Advertisement]". The Salt Lake Tribune. June 12, 1965. p. 11. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Super Season Special: Taste the difference fresh makes". The Pittsburgh Press. June 26, 1978. p. C-5. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "A Thanksgiving Menu That's Really Stuffed! [Advertisement]". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 25, 1986. p. A-10. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Glassett, Janie. "[Big Boy Progress Image at] Janies's Big Boy Webpage: Big Boy Family Newsletter". Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
↑ "'Big Boy' Trademark Suit Opens, Glendale Firm Asks Verdict". The Independent Star News. Pasadena. July 26, 1959. p. 11 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ Schaffer, Frank (April 17, 1962). "Charleston Drive-In Zooms To Huge 10-State Business". Charleston Daily Mail. pp. 12, 17. Retrieved February 26, 2013 – via newspaperarchive.com. Then came the expansion outside West Virginia with franchised stores. Before 1956, Shoney's restaurants were operating in Richmond, Salem, Hampton, Norfolk and Newport News, Va., Rochester, N. Y., Philadelphia, Chattanooga, Charlotte and Wheeling [WV]... [I]n 1958, the expansion continued. Three openings were held in Roanoke, one in Lynchburg, and five in Nashville. In this list, the Rochester franchise is Becker's, the Wheeling franchise is Elby's, the Philadelphia franchises are Tune's and Arnold's, the Chattanooga franchise is Shap's, and the Roanoke, Virginia franchises are Lendy's and Yoda's.
↑ Shoney's Home of the Nationally Famous Big Boy [Menu]. 1959. back cover. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017. In West Virginia... Elby's of Wheeling - 2 locations, Elby's of Moundsville... In Virginia... Lendy's of Roanoke, Lendy's of Lynchburg, Yoda's of Roanoke Note: This includes a photograph of an early 1960s Shoney's menu cover, which lists then current Shoney's Big Boy restaurants including self-named subfranchises in Shoney's territory.
↑ "Elby's rejoins Big Boy franchise system". The Doylestown Intelligencer. August 19, 1988. p. B-9. Retrieved September 6, 2017 – via newspaper archive. [T]he entire chain is being united under the Big Boy name, which means our Elby's name, as well as all other franchise names, will eventually be phased out...The chain is also moving toward a consistent core menu. This means that all Big Boys across the country will offer the same basic items, along with certain regional favorites.
↑ "Sign of the times". The Grand Blanc News. September 19, 2004. p. GB-4. Retrieved September 9, 2017 – via Newsbank. The Elias Brothers sign at the corner of Grand Blanc Road and Saginaw Street in Grand Blanc comes down after more than 30 years. [T]he national Big Boy chain ... no longer wants to be referred to as Elias Brothers, and it wants all of its signs to have the same look.
↑ "Elby's rejoins Big Boy chain". Observer Reporter. Washington, PA. August 3, 1988. p. C-6. Retrieved February 14, 2013 – via Google news.
↑ Frisch's Restaurant, Inc. v. Shoney's Inc., 759 F.2d 1261, 1265-6 (6th Cir. 1985) ("In the case at bar, the district court concluded that the "Big Boy" mark was neither an indicator of origin nor distinctive, but was "a relatively weak mark". ... By emphasizing "Shoney's Big Boy Restaurants", as it did in its advertising, Shoney's has identified itself as the source of the services.").
↑ "Tawas Bay Big Boy". Tawas Bay Big Boy. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
↑
. . .
- "Bismarck Big Boy Restaurant". BisManCafe. Retrieved March 22, 2016. continue to offer distinctions from the standard Big Boy menu.
- "Around the Mountain State". Point Pleasant Register. August 4, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved June 27, 2013. [A]ll restaurants in the chain will operate under the Big Boy name with standardized menus across the nation. Individual franchise names will be phased out gradually.
- "Menu". Bob's Big Boy. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- "Menu". Frisch's Big Boy. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- "Big Boy Restaurant menu: Bismarck, ND". All Menus. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- "Food". Big Boy. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
1 2 Hansen, Christian (2002). The Big Boy Story: "King of Them All". Santa Barbara: Haagen Printing. ISBN 978-0967194363. (page 75) On a plane trip to Keene, New Hampshire ... to visit with [Big Boy] franchisee Manfred Bernhard, creator of the Big Boy Comic Book. ... Manfred greeted us at the plane in his car, loaded us in, and we drove in an opposite direction to his restaurant, Mr. 'B's'.
1 2 3 4 "Bob's Big Boy restaurant holds opening ceremony". Van Nuys News (Central ed.). June 25, 1965. p. 21–A. Retrieved December 13, 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Locations". Big Boy. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
↑ "Locations". Big Boy Thailand. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
↑ Kosdrosky, Terry (February 2001). "New Owner of Big Boy Gobbles Up Franchise Rights". Crain's Detroit Business. Vol. 17, no. 7. p. 32.
1 2 3 4 5 Frisch's Restaurant, Inc. v. Elby's Big Boy, 661 F.Supp. 971 (S.D. Ohio, E.D. 1987).
↑ "Frisch's Big Boy Celebrates Founder's Day May 3". [Official] Frisch's Big Boy of Northwest Ohio. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2013. Toledo brothers Milton & David Bennett purchased the franchise rights to build and operate Frisch's Big Boy restaurants in Northwest Ohio. Bennett Enterprises owns and operates 13 family-style restaurants with drive-thru service under the name Frisch's Big Boy.
↑
↑ "Zensho Group: Big Boy, Hamburger Steak & Grill Restaurant". Zénsho Holdings Company. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
↑ Matsutani, Minoru (January 25, 2011). "Family restaurants falling from flavor". Japan Times. Tokyo: Toshiaki Ogasawara. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
1 2 "Big Boy Japan Menu Items". Big Boy Japan. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
↑ "Daiei seen selling restaurant chains". CNN. December 1, 2002.
↑ "Daiei to sell 2 units to Zensho group". Japan Weekly Monitor. December 9, 2002 – via The Free Library.
↑ Huddleston, Justina (November 22, 2019). "The Untold Truth Of Big Boy". Mashed.com.
↑ "George Abdow, co-founder of Springfield-area Abdow's Big Boy restaurant chain, dies at 82". The Republican. Springfield, MA. May 29, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
↑ Hyland, John (August 4, 1984). "Abdow Brothers Cooking Up a Success". Hartford Courant. p. F8. Retrieved June 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. [T]he Abdows bought their Big Boy franchise in 1963... The Abdows are scheduled to open their 16th Big Boy restaurant and sixth in Connecticut on Route 44 in Avon on Monday.
↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State Corporate Search: Abdow's Big Boy of Riverdale, Inc.
↑ "Abdow's bids Big Boy adieu". The Berkshire Eagle. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. April 15, 1994. p. C5. Retrieved June 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Big Boy Bounced from New England". Kingman Daily Miner. Kingman, AZ. April 15, 1994. p. 1. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
↑ McKay, Jim (June 6, 1989). "Eat'n Park in high gear". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. 13, 15. Retrieved June 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Eat'n Park dropped the Big Boy franchise in 1975 Part 1
↑ "Peters, co-founder of Eat'n Park, dead at 87", Nation's Restaurant News, August 28, 2000.
↑ "Obituary: William D. Peters / President of Eat'n Park restaurants". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 20, 2000. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
↑ Kapner, Suzanne, "After 46 years, Eat'n Park still revs sales, appetites", Nation's Restaurant News, September 18, 1995.
1 2 "Elby's given rights to franchise". The Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. March 20, 1979. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Friendly, Elby deal called off". The Boston Globe. United Press International. August 3, 1986. p. 84. Retrieved August 27, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. [Elby's] includes 70 restaurants In West Virginia, Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and Maryland.
↑ Novotney, Steve (March 5, 2016). "The Elby's Empire: Part 4 - My Elby's". Weelunk. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
↑ "Boury Businesses Expanding". The Intelligencer. Wheeling WV. February 21, 1979. p. 27. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
1 2 3 4 Schaffer, Frank (April 17, 1962). "Charleston Drive-In Zooms To Huge 10-State Business". Charleston Daily Mail. pp. 12, 17. Retrieved February 26, 2013 – via newspaperarchive.com. Then came the expansion outside West Virginia with franchised stores. Before 1956, Shoney's restaurants were operating in Richmond, Salem, Hampton, Norfolk and Newport News, Va., Rochester, N. Y., Philadelphia, Chattanooga, Charlotte and Wheeling [WV]... [I]n 1958, the expansion continued. Three openings were held in Roanoke, one in Lynchburg, and five in Nashville. In this list, the Rochester franchise is Becker's, the Wheeling franchise is Elby's, the Philadelphia franchises are Tune's and Arnold's, the Chattanooga franchise is Shap's, and the Roanoke, Virginia franchises are Lendy's and Yoda's.
1 2 3 4 Shoney's Home of the Nationally Famous Big Boy [Menu]. 1959. back cover. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017. In West Virginia... Elby's of Wheeling - 2 locations, Elby's of Moundsville... In Virginia... Lendy's of Roanoke, Lendy's of Lynchburg, Yoda's of Roanoke Note: This includes a photograph of an early 1960s Shoney's menu cover, which lists then current Shoney's Big Boy restaurants including self-named subfranchises in Shoney's territory.
↑ "and... NOW THERE ARE 3 Elby's [advertisement]". Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian. March 28, 1960. p. 7. Retrieved July 30, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Advertisement: Grand opening our 16th special". The Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian. January 11, 1971. p. 9. Retrieved September 7, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Narcotics Evidence Is Found Illegal". Cumberland Evening Times. August 1, 1973. p. 27. Retrieved September 7, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
1 2 3 4 5 Leininger, Keith (December 6, 1984). "Cherubic Big Boy Caught in a Pickle". News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne. Retrieved October 22, 2017 – via NewsBank.
1 2 Harvilla, Michael (October 9, 2000). "Boury Says He Is Sad to See Big Boys Leave". Business. The Intelligencer. Wheeling, WV. p. 16. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
↑
. . .
- Amatos, Christopher A. (April 2, 1989). "Elby's franchise switch makes it Shoney's today". Columbus Dispatch. p. 7D – via Newsbank. Shoney's, ironically, ... has never been in Columbus because of restrictions imposed by the Big Boy system, of which Shoney's was once a member. West Virginia-based Elby's also was once a Big Boy franchise.
- "Franchisee's 9 Shoney's Restaurants in area up for sale". Columbus Dispatch. March 25, 1993. p. 1G. Retrieved September 8, 2017 – via Newsbank. The nine units consist of seven in Columbus and one each in Newark and Heath.
- Amatos, Christopher A. (August 5, 1993). "Owner closes five area JT's Restaurants". Columbus Dispatch. p. 1B. Retrieved September 8, 2017 – via Newsbank. In May [Boury Enterprises] dropped the Shoney's franchise and converted six of the nine units to JT's Family Restaurants. It sold three closed restaurants to Shoney's.... Shoney's said that it plans to reopen in November, December and January the three stores it purchased.
↑ "Elby's rejoins Big Boy chain". Observer Reporter. Washington, PA. August 3, 1988. p. C-6. Retrieved February 14, 2013 – via Google news.
↑ "Elby's Big Boy Strawberry Festival (Advertisement)". Observer Reporter. Washington, PA. April 26, 1994. p. B-2. Retrieved February 14, 2013 – via Google news.
↑
. . .
- "Elby's Opens in Scranton". The Weirton Daily Times. Thompson - Brush - Moore Newspapers. December 23, 1969. p. 5. Retrieved November 10, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "Opens 16th Elby's". The Gettysburg Times. September 7, 1970. p. 3. Retrieved November 10, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- Dino, Jim (August 28, 2015). "Former Friendly's sold to investors". Standard Speaker. Hazelton, PA: Times-Shamrock Communications. Retrieved November 10, 2016. In the late 1970s, Marvin Franklin changed 13 Elby's restaurants he owned in Pennsylvania and elsewhere on the East Coast into Franklin's Family Restaurants, with a menu similar to its predecessor.
↑ Briley, Kathie (September 27, 1975). "Elby's Sued for $5 Million". The Intelligencer. Wheeling, WV. p. 4. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
↑ Briley, Kathie (October 29, 1975). "Elby's Denies Charges". The Intelligencer. Wheeling, WV. p. 10. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
↑ "Boury Settles Out of Court". The Intelligencer. Wheeling, WV. July 18, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
↑ "Attention All Grade School Students [Advertisement]". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, PA. January 16, 1976. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Franklin's Family Restaurants (Formerly Elby's)
↑ "Title Transfer". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. January 28, 1977. p. 3. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Several Elby's Restaurants have been changed to Franklin's Family Restaurants...
↑ "Special Big Boy Platter [Advertisement]". Standard-Speaker. Hazleton, PA. March 15, 1976. p. 6. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Attention All Grade School Students! [Advertisement]". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, PA. April 16, 1976. p. 4. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Attention All Grade School Students! [Advertisement]". The Tribune. Scranton, PA. February 10, 1978. p. 8. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Elby's Plans 8 Restaurants In The Area". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. August 30, 1978. p. 3. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. [A] court settlement ... resulted in cancellation of contracts between Elby's and Marvin Franklin... The U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., has prohibited Franklin from using the registered trademarks "Elby's" and "Big Boy,".... In addition, Franklin's organization was directed to return all originals and copies of Elby's and Boury Inc.'s recipes, food formulas, manuals, bulletin books, advertising materials and other plan's to Elby's, .... Franklin's organization also agreed not to produce food products from Elby's and Boury Inc.'s recipes without substantial variation. Franklin and his organization agreed to pay "a substantial sum of money" to the Bourys as part of the Settlement.
↑
. . .
- "Hey Kids! [Advertisement]". 30. The Doylestown Intelligencer. October 28, 1980. Retrieved November 10, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com. ... receive a coupon redeemable at any future date for a free "Big Ben" double decker hamburger at any Franklin's ...
- "Menu image at Franklin's Family Restaurants Reunion". franklins-restaurants.blogspot.com. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- "20th Anniversary Specials [Advertisement]". The Morning Call. Allentown PA. September 2, 1986. p. D6. Retrieved November 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Franklin Rebuked: Elby's Gets OK To Build". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, PA. July 12, 1983. p. 3. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "It's Sandwiches vs. Meals In Battle of Restaurants". The Times-Tribune. Scranton, PA. June 28, 1983. p. 15. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Marvin Franklin Enterprises, Inc. ... alleges that ... a new Elby's Big Boy restaurant next to Franklin's in Chinchilla would hurt the appearance of Franklin's and damage employee morale. Marvin Franklin, ... testified that construction of a new and shiny restaurant and building next to us would make us look bad.
↑ "Firms agree on sale of 70 Elby's locations". The Altoona Mirror. Mirror and United Press International. April 5, 1986. p. D3. Retrieved November 10, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
1 2 "Big Boy chain in state is sold for $2.7 million". Arizona Republic. Phoenix. July 3, 1974. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com. JB's Big JB's Big Boy Restaurants ... is licensed to operate in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, South Dakota, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Jersey, and in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
In New Mexico, JB's operates as Vip's Big Boy and in Nevada as Bob's Big Boy, the same as Arizona.
1 2 Big Boy Restaurants 1986 50th Anniversary Western-Central US Road Map (Map) (1986 ed.). Big Boy Restaurants. back cover. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
↑ FundingUniverse. "History of Summit Family Restaurants Inc". www.fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
↑ Bradsher, Keith (March 18, 1988). "Chubby 'Big Boy' May Disappear as Restaurant Changes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
↑ "Locations". JB's Restaurants. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016. Using Salt Lake City zip code 84101, and a 500 mile radius.
↑ "Lendy's Web Page, part 4". Archived from the original on August 5, 2011.
1 2 "Lendy's Web Page, part 2". Archived from the original on August 5, 2011.
↑ Smith, Dennis (November 20, 2013). "Lendy's". That 70's Blacksburg. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
↑ Lawrence, Larry (December 16, 1958). "From Dishwasher to Owner of Chain of Restaurants Is the Story of Bob Wian". The Milwaukee Journal Green Sheet. The Journal Company. Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via GoogleNews.^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "Milwaukee Welcomes BIG BOY [advertisement]". The Milwaukee Journal. November 21, 1958. p. 22. Retrieved June 2, 2018 – via Google news. A free Coca-Cola with every food order during our opening week. Just clip the Marc's symbol from this ad and turn it in with your order.^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "Marcus reports 26 per cent profit increase". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. August 10, 1973. p. B–6. Retrieved June 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 Chris, Foran (January 24, 2017). "Our Back Pages: When they locked up Big Boy". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
1 2 Bednarek, David J. (June 4, 1993). "Marcus returns to fast-food's beginnings with Big Boy Express". The Milwaukee Journal. Journal/Sentinel, Inc. p. C6 – via NewsBank.(subscription required)
1 2 "Top's 1974 Big Boy Family Restaurants Menu -Wisc., Minn., Ill., Iowa". eBay. June 2, 2018. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
↑ Pirkl, Tim (May 5, 1989). "Tehan heads foundation; Big Boy changes name". Taking Stock. Wausau Daily Herald. p. C1. Retrieved June 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Waterbury, Kathleen (September 14, 1994). "'BYE, BOY Marcus selling cafes, Big Boys". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Journal/Sentinel Inc. p. 1D – via NewsBank.(subscription required)
↑ "Big Boy". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 31, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
↑ Fredrich, Lori (April 7, 2017). "On the Burger Trail: Big Boy burger at Kil@wat". OnMilwaukee.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
↑ "Kil@wat lunch menu" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
↑ "Kil@wat dinner menu" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
↑ "Dinner Menu" (PDF).
↑ "The Parkette at the Beginning". Parkette Drive-In. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016. Joe Smiley opened the Parkette [Drive-In] on November 11, 1951.... Joe created his own version of the Double-Decker hamburger called the 'Poor Boy'. Joe brought this burger idea with him from West Virginia.
↑ "Print ads in The Contest of the Century", The Charleston Gazette and The Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston, WV, 1952–55, retrieved June 27, 2012
1 2 "Shoney's Changes Corporate Name". The Charleston Daily Mail. October 30, 1976. p. 5B. Retrieved December 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Our company is quite diversified within the food service business ... We believe the new name is less restrictive and more appropriate to the broader operations we have developed
↑
. . .
- Zuckerman, David (May 7, 1984). "Shoney's secedes from Big Boy system". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved April 15, 2014.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
- "Graph of Shoney's net income since 1974; At Shoney's, details count". The New York Times. June 8, 1984. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2016. Shoney's started expanding outside of its franchise territory in 1982 by opening coffee shops without Big Boy markings in neighboring states. A fellow Big Boy franchisee sued to stop the move, but after Shoney's won a favorable court ruling in March, Marriott quickly agreed to scrap the franchise agreement for $13 million in cash.
↑ "From the archives: Nostalgia on the menu". The News & Advance. Lynchburg, VA. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
↑ Teague, Kipp (January 1, 1967), Lendy's Big Boy sign, Wards Road, Lynchburg - 1967, retrieved July 23, 2019, ...briefly known as Adler's Big Boy (Abe Adler of Lynchburg sold the business to Leonard Goldstein of Roanoke within a year or so of building and opening the restaurant).
↑
. . .
- "Now... We are featuring a complete curb service [Advertisement]". Chester Times. Chester, PA. May 11, 1956. p. 35. Retrieved November 4, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- "Presenting the taste sensation you'll never forget! [Advertisement]". Chester Times. Chester, PA. July 1, 1955. p. 5. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
↑ "Formal Opening". Valparaiso Vidette Messenger. Valparaiso, Indiana. August 13, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved April 29, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com. Azar's was started in Fort Wayne in 1953...
↑ "Azar's Big Boy Family Restaurants Large Menu, 1986, Indiana, Colorado". eBay. May 20, 2018. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2018. Since the first Big Boy opened in Fort Wayne in May of 1954, Azar's Restaurants and their chubby little mascot with the checkered pants have become a familiar sight in Northern Indiana and Colorado.
↑ Wyche, Paul (December 1, 2013). "Azars shifting family business from food to property". The Journal Gazette. Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
↑ Shelley, Jonathan (2020-06-08). "Azar's Big Boy notifies workers of permanent closure". Fort Wayne's NBC. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
↑ Cornwell, Alex (June 19, 2020). "Azar's Big Boy will not reopen". The Waynedale News. Fort Wayne. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
↑ "Becker's Grand Opening [Advertisement]". The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. August 31, 1956. pp. 8–9. Retrieved December 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Auction: By order of the Board of Directors, Becker's Big Boy Inc. [Legal Advertisement]". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester. September 14, 1965. p. 7C. Retrieved December 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Year–round drive–in service at your favorite Becker's Big Boy [advertisement]". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. November 28, 1957. p. 24E. Retrieved March 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. 975 Ridge Rd. East, 1280 Buffalo Rd.... 814 Brown St., 2947 Monroe Ave.
↑ Baker, Jim (March 18, 2010). "Out of the Past: Johnson's Drive-In, Route 5 in Athol Springs, 1957" (PDF). The Sun. Hamburg (NY). p. 12. Retrieved April 12, 2013. The Johnson family continued to run the business until 1959 ... When the Johnson's left the business, they sold out to the Becker family of Rochester who owned the "Big Boy" franchise restaurants. They had successful restaurants in Buffalo, but for whatever reason, they never re-opened the former drive-in at the circle. It is believed that they tried to expand too fast and fell on hard financial times.
↑ Rickner, Amanda (March 15, 2012). "JB's Restaurant being demolished, property listed for $1.2 million". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Bozeman MT: Pioneer News Group. Retrieved October 8, 2013. The restaurant was constructed in the early 1970s, according to city building records. For a time, it was a Bud's Big Boy restaurant before becoming JB's.
↑ Rochester, Helen (August 9, 1978). "Lunch in Westmount: Modified Big Boy is no treat". The [Montreal] Gazette. Southam Press. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
↑ "No Big Boy in St. Albans this year". The Burlington Free Press. May 31, 1984. p. 2. Retrieved March 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "2 for 1 special [advertisement]". The Burlington Free Press. May 30, 1984. p. 7B. Retrieved March 11, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
↑ "You just can't stop yourself [advertisement]". The Burlington Free Press. April 20, 1986. p. 8D. Retrieved March 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Debbie, Salomon (July 9, 1991). "Downtown Wendy's opening delayed by design". The Burlington Free Press. p. 1D. Retrieved March 11, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
↑ "Big Boy Hamburger Now At Frejlach's". Arlington Heights Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. October 7, 1954. p. 12. Retrieved September 30, 2012 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ 1956 Oak Park Telephone Directory. 1956. p. 133.
1 2 "Executive Summary: John Bitove, Sr". Archived from the original on September 26, 2003. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
1 2 3 "Ken's" (jpg). Adventures of the Big Boy (comic book). No. 151 (Ken's ed.). WEBS Advertising Corp. January 1969. back cover. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017. (front cover; archive)
↑ "White Log Coffee Shop, Los Angeles, CA". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Retrieved March 22, 2016. Designed for the chain of coffee shops started by Kenneth Bemis
↑ Winter, Robert; Gebhard, David (2009). An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Gibbs Smith. p. 249. ISBN 9781423608936.
↑ "EZ's Coffee Shop (formerly Kip's Big Boy) at Northwest Highway & Hillcrest, North Dallas To Be Demolished?". Preservation Dallas. Archived from the original on December 12, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
↑ "Owner Realizes Early Ambitions". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 1, 1970. p. 23. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
↑ "Big Boy picks new directors". Provo Daily Herald. July 18, 1971. p. 5. Retrieved December 24, 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
↑ Higgins, Bette Lou (August 9, 2009). "Restaurants". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved September 9, 2016. The first California-style drive-in in the Cleveland area, Manners Drive In, opened in 1939 (17655 Lake Shore Blvd.). It operated 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and was opened by Robert L. and Mona Manners. Manners introduced the double-decker hamburger in 1954. By 1964 there were 30 Manners Big Boy Restaurants in northeast Ohio ... In 1968 Manners merged with Consolidated Food Corp. of Chicago. In 1974 Marriott purchased 39 Manners Drive Ins from Consolidated Foods.... In 1995 the Big Boy Corp. was operating under the Elias Big Boy name.
↑ Feran, Tom (September 2, 2005). "Manners Big Boy's secret is on the tip of my tongue". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland: Newhouse Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2014. Alt URL
↑ Byard, Katie (February 16, 1985). "Michigan Firm To Purchase 26 Ohio Big Boys". Business. Akron Beacon Journal. p. B-7. Retrieved September 23, 2017 – via NewsBank. Elias Brothers Restaurants Inc.... has agreed to purchase the 26 Bob's Big Boy outlets in Northeast Ohio from owner and Big Boy franchiser Mariott Corp.... Mariott purchased the Northeast Ohio Big Boy outlets, then under the name of Manners Big Boy Restaurants, from Chicago- based Consolidated Foods Corp. in the mid-1970s.
↑ "This Comic Book is a gift from Mark's". Adventures of the Big Boy (Comic Book) (47): Back Cover. 1960. Archived from the original on January 2, 2020.
1 2 "Opportunity Young Men [advertisement]". The Evening Sun. Baltimore. September 18, 1962. p. B 20. Retrieved January 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "'Big Boy' Trademark Suit Opens, Glendale Firm Asks Verdict". The Independent Star News. Pasadena. July 26, 1959. p. 11 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Big Boy Buys Vt. Square". The Brattleboro Reformer. January 11, 1966. p. 5. Retrieved January 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Manford Bernhard, [is] owner of the franchise for the Big Boy restaurants in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
↑ "New Hampshire Corporate Record: Keene Big Boy, Inc". Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
↑ Glassett, Janie. "(Mr. B's Image at) Janies's Big Boy Webpage". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
↑ Jolley, Harmon (July 16, 2002). "What Did That Building Used To Be? - Shap's". The Chattanoogan.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
↑ Ciampa, Gail (January 29, 2021). "Restaurateur, innovator and philanthropist Ted Fuller of Gregg's has died". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021. ...he opened Ted's Big Boy Restaurants in 1964. He ran them until he bought Gregg's in Warwick in 1972.
↑ "Welcome to Carnston [advertisement]" (PDF). The Rhode Island Herald. April 23, 1965. p. 11. Retrieved July 19, 2021. ...Rhode Island's own Ted Fuller was opening a spanking new BIG BOY Restaurant in Cranston, R. I.
↑ Gazda v. Kolinski, 91 A.D.2d 860 (N.Y. App. Div. 1982).
↑ Bernhard, K (April 1986). "TJ's Big Boy Family Restaurants". Adventures of the Big Boy. 348: back cover. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020.
↑ Smith, Cliff (December 19, 1992). "2 local Big Boys close; only 2 are left". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester. p. 10B. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Big Boys at 1405 E. Ridge Road, Irondequoit, and 1601 Penfield Road, Penfield, are closed ... Elias Brothers' Big Boy Division also closed two stores in the Syracuse area.
↑ Gibbs, Stephanie (November 6, 1992). "2 Big Boy Restaurants To Close". Syracuse Post Standard. p. B-6. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
↑ Nedt, Bob (December 21, 1994). "Corporation closes another TJ's Big Boy". Business. Syracuse Herald Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Obituary: Lucian Frejlach". Oshkosh Northwestern. Gannett. February 9, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
↑ "New Chain Plans 33 Restaurants". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 9, 1963. p. 5F. Retrieved November 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Tote's Home of the Big Boy New Restaurant Opening [Advertisement]". Saint Charles Journal. April 27, 1967. p. 35. Retrieved November 2, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "New chain plans 33 restaurants". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 9, 1963. p. 5F. Retrieved December 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Shoney's Big Boy franchise". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 6, 1972. p. 11C. Retrieved December 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Real Estate News". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 22, 1956. p. 42. Retrieved November 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ Gaghan, Jerry (December 16, 1963). "Burton May Perform Here". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 43. Retrieved November 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Alex Schoenbaum ... was in to look over the 50th unit in his chain of Shoney's restaurant drive-in at Cottman Ave. and Roosevelt Blvd. Shoney's first move in linking forces with local operator Jack Engel was a remodeling and expansion of the dining room facilities.
↑ "Applications Now Being Taken ... (Help Wanted Advertisement)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 8, 1963. p. 37. Retrieved November 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. ...Shoney's Restaurant (formerly Tunes Big Boy) Roosevelt Blvd. at Cottman
↑ "Levittown Restaurant Opens". Bristol Daily Courier. December 7, 1957. p. 2. Retrieved December 13, 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "[Advertisement] We Are Famous!" (PDF). Philadelphia Inquirer. September 18, 1959. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
↑ "Levittown's Newest Citizen is here [Advertisement]". Bristol Daily Courier. December 5, 1957. p. 34. Retrieved November 2, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Big Boy Restaurant Discontinues Operation". Bristol Daily Courier. April 15, 1959. p. 3. Retrieved November 2, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Restaurant Chain Expands to E.P." El Paso Herald Post. August 29, 1963. p. 32. Retrieved September 9, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com. VIP's Big Boy restaurants of New Mexico, Inc. today announced a merger with the Big Boy restaurant organization in El Paso, which will serve as headquarters for expansion throughout West Texas. ... The firm has taken over a restaurant at 8409 Dyer Street formerly known as Kip's Big Boy Restaurant.
↑ "Matchbook - Vip's Big Boy Hamburgers Cheyenne Torrington WY FULL". eBay. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
↑ "New Restaurant Is Planned Here". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque: Journal Publishing Co. January 19, 1962. p. 2. Retrieved October 19, 2012 – via newspaperarchive.com.
↑ "Children's project gets $1,000 gift". Santa Fe New Mexican Sun. August 15, 1982. p. 4. Retrieved November 2, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com. Commenting on the name change from Vip's Big Boy to JB's Big Boy, Clark D. Jones, president of the Salt Lake City-based restaurant chain, said it was done with several new changes in the restaurants and to add more cohesiveness to the operation of the company.
↑ "VIP's officials announce sale of restaurants". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. August 18, 1984. p. 9B. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
↑ "[Advertisement] Mady's Big Boy Turns Back the Clock on Food Prices!". The Windsor Star. March 23, 1968. p. D3. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
↑ McDonald's Corporation v Joburgers Drive-Inn Restaurant (Pty) Ltd. and Another; McDonald's Corporation v Dax Prop CC and Another; McDonald's Corporation v Joburgers Drive-Inn Restaurant (Pty) Ltd. and Another [1996] ZASCA 82 (27 August 1996), Supreme Court of Appeal (South Africa)
↑ Kent, Jack (December 26, 1973). "Business Highlights: Elias Big Boy to open here". The Windsor Star. Windsor, ON, Canada. p. 20 – via Google News.