Big Boy Restaurant was founded in 1936 in Glendale, California by Bob Wian. The original name was Bob’s Pantry and quickly became known as “Bob’s” and “Home of the Big Boy Hamburger.” By 1967, the restaurant chain had changed its name to Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and was purchased by investor Robert Liggett, Jr. Liggett changed the name to Big Boy Restaurant. Soon after the sale, Liggett made an agreement with Frisch’s restaurants and both restaurant chains became part of the Big Boy International restaurant chain. All locations now operate under the Big Boy brand.
The cartoon series “Bob’s Burgers” reminds many people of the original restaurant and times.
Today, the company has 121 restaurants in the U.S. and 93 around the globe, not including 293 franchises in Japan. In 2013, the company had $9.4 million in profit.
Big Boy Restaurant maintains a corporate office in Warren, Michigan.
