Discuss the Frisch's/ Big Boy restaurant chain here.
Firsch's Big Boy is the only regional Big Boy chain left. Every other chain is either out of business, has joined the larger pool of the Big Boy chain, or left the Big Boy chain. This chain has more than 80 restaurants in Northern Kentucky, Southern & Central Ohio, and Indiana.
I miss the days when Frisch's was more widespread. We had them in Florida for many years. Frisch's key difference is their use of the fabled Frisch's Tartar Sauce on the Big Boy Double Deck Burger rather than the Big Boy Sauce used in the other Big Boy operations. In Florida, we also had some of the Marriott-operated Bob's Big Boy stores and some other Big Boy operators. We also had at least one Big Boy in a former Howard Johnson; this, too, was part of the ill-fated Marriott takeover of Howard Johnson. I saw one of these converted Howard Johnson stores back in 1988 or 89, maybe 1990, along Route 30 in Pennsylvania as well.
Why did Mariott enter and quickly exit the restaurant industry? They pretty much killed the Howard Johnson's name and then left that business market. :mad::flaming:
There is ONE suriving Bob's Big Boy here in Fresno. My sister worked at one that is now closed back in the 80's. It was a "real" Big Boy with the fiberglass statue out front and everything. (The remaining location never had a huge statue outside, only a tiny one in the lobby) I still have my sister's name tag from there, though!
Shortly after the Howard Johnson acquisition, Marriott made the decision to concentrate on the upscale Allie's coffee shop concept that was named to honor the senior Mrs. Marriott. Almost immediately after that, the company decided to jettison the entire coffee shop and fast food business. This included Howard Johnson, Big Boy, Allie's, and Roy Rogers as well as other smaller chains, and it also included the Hot Shoppes business in the Washington, D.C. metro area which was how Marriott got its start. They were in business for over 50 years. If I remember correctly, at the last gasp of Marriott's participation in the coffee shop business, they bought the Wag's chain of stand-alone restaurants from Walgreens. The majority of the old Marriott operations are gone now. I did see Marriott using the Alllie's name for the casual restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Houston Airport Marriott back in 2000. I don't know if it's still named Allie's or not, though this was well after their exit from the larger Allie's business.
There are still some Big Boy restaurants around PA/NJ/DE on the turnpike..along with Roy Rogers in the rest areas that do not have a Burger King.
Wow, I remember the Big Boy in Auburn, MA. Then it turned into an Abdow's, and now is a Bickfords...
Here is a pic of our Big Boy, which will be closing on the 30th of the month:
Closeup of the sign:
And the Bob statue inside in the lobby:
Kitchen area:
Sideways view of the lobby area
Part of the dining room and breakfast bar:
View as you come in the door
QuoteOriginally posted by dooneyt63
I miss the days when Frisch's was more widespread. We had them in Florida for many years. Frisch's key difference is their use of the fabled Frisch's Tartar Sauce on the Big Boy Double Deck Burger rather than the Big Boy Sauce used in the other Big Boy operations. In Florida, we also had some of the Marriott-operated Bob's Big Boy stores and some other Big Boy operators. We also had at least one Big Boy in a former Howard Johnson; this, too, was part of the ill-fated Marriott takeover of Howard Johnson. I saw one of these converted Howard Johnson stores back in 1988 or 89, maybe 1990, along Route 30 in Pennsylvania as well.
I have never seen a big boy. Dr. evil's rocket ship on Austin Powers was big boy.
Yeah the Big Boy International which includes Bob's hasn't been doing too well lately. However, Frisch's is doing very well. I've seen a Frisch's last month on a Sunday night and it was packed with people and the drive-thur was hoppin.
I do have a Big Boy piggy bank.
i remeber big boy but now most of them have become bickfords,one bickford is a freindlys
I miss big boy all of the ohio valley stores closed in 2000
QuoteOriginally posted by df559
And the Bob statue inside in the lobby:
what restuarant was big boy. They used this as product placement on Austin powers movies, Dr. Evil had this as a ship in the first movie and beginning of the second.
There are still Bob's Big Boy locations operating at the New York State Thruway service plazas, along with Roy Rogers, Sbarro, McDonald's, Burger King, etc.
here is the roy rogers in the bensonhurst nwe york that is brooklyn in casears bay plaza
from http://www.siteride.com/srpl/t_snapshot.pl?subNum=10213000033&tenNum=10213000033.0014
Frisch's Big Boy is still alive and well in the Ohio Valley region. Here's a vintage photo of a drive-in style Frisch's from 1958 (long gone now, replaced by a strip mall). Photo courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library.
(http://i.imgur.com/GclcPOcl.jpg)
Of course, all of them are sit-down restaurants now - I don't know if there are any drive-ins left.
We still have a good number of Big Boy restaurants across Metro Detroit-in fact, the headquarters for the main Big Boy chain are in Warren, Michigan, which date back to when our Big Boy chain was Elias Brothers. There is one in Wyandotte, Michigan, downtown at Biddle and Eureka. It's been around since 1970.
Just noticed today that a new Big Boy sign had been put up on the building of the one in Wyandotte, MI. They also have a recently-installed within the past couple years large TV antenna on their roof.
Do any other Big Boys use TV antennas?
Lotsa memories of lunches at the Elias Bros. Big Boy across the street from my Ames store in Imlay City. Big Boy left Pittsburgh about a decade ago when Elby's crashed and burned.
I'll stop by Fritch's Big Boy for old times sake when I'm in Toledo visiting my daughter.
In Wisconsin, we had Marc's Big Boy restaurants, which was owned by the Marcus Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They all became Annie's American Café and Perkins Restaurant in the mid-1990s.
In Connecticut we had Abdow's Big Boy Restaurant. The one in Avon, Connecticut became Bickford's. I'm not sure what's there now. The one in New Britain, CT is now Kool Smiles Kids Dentist. Abdow's still owns the building on Myrtle Street. I believe it was briefly an Old Country Buffet and something else before it became Kool Smiles. There were other locations of Abdow's Big Boy in Connecticut, but I can't tell you where.
Quote from: Marc B on November 13, 2015, 07:52:08 AM
In Connecticut we had Abdow's Big Boy Restaurant. The one in Avon, Connecticut became Bickford's. I'm not sure what's there now. The one in New Britain, CT is now Kool Smiles Kids Dentist. Abdow's still owns the building on Myrtle Street. I believe it was briefly an Old Country Buffet and something else before it became Kool Smiles. There were other locations of Abdow's Big Boy in Connecticut, but I can't tell you where.
I was thinking that the two (more or less) merged into Bickford's.
There was a place in West Springfield (on Riverdale Street) that closed which I believe was an Abdow location - on the corner across from one of the entries to the Stop & Shop plaza. It's now a parking lot Bickford already had a location up the street that is now Hooters (I believe - next to the former B'Sharas) so it didn't make sense to keep both open relatively close together.
Nifty jet-age sign from the Frisch's Big Boy in Fairfax, OH. The propellers spin!
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5764/22675529296_ca024cb90a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/AxL1RE)Frisch's Mainliner, Fairfax, OH (https://flic.kr/p/AxL1RE) by Harvestman Man (https://www.flickr.com/photos/124303530@N08/), on Flickr
Cool. Big Boy has drive-thru now?
Eat n' Park restaurants in this area have been busily installing
drive-thrus for several years now.
Quote from: TheFugitive on November 17, 2015, 08:46:54 AM
Cool. Big Boy has drive-thru now?
Eat n' Park restaurants in this area have been busily installing
drive-thrus for several years now.
Frisch's has had them for quite a while. I believe this now-demolished location dates back to the late '60s or early '70s and had a drive-thru window.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/374/19964761698_ce2aecd402_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/wqdC6h)Former Frisch's Big Boy, Union Township, OH (https://flic.kr/p/wqdC6h) by Harvestman Man (https://www.flickr.com/photos/124303530@N08/), on Flickr
Eat n' Parks are nonexistent here, never seen one in person. Looks like the nearest one to me would be near the WV-OH border in St. Clairsville, on the opposite edge of the state from me.
Quote from: TheFugitive on November 17, 2015, 08:46:54 AM
Cool. Big Boy has drive-thru now?
Eat n' Park restaurants in this area have been busily installing
drive-thrus for several years now.
I don't think Elias Bros. ever attempted putting in drive-thrus at any of their locations. Michigan never had and does not have any Eat & Parks. The only other former Big Boy franchise I know of that expanded into Michigan was Shoney's and that was after they dropped their Big Boy affiliation. When they pulled out in 1998 several were converted into actual Big Boys. There was one on Eureka just west of I-75 in Taylor.
Eat n' Park is a local Pittsburgh chain with stores in northern WV and eastern Ohio, up into the
Cleveland area. They were also in the Harrisburg market but pulled out several years ago.
Eat n' Park was originally the Big Boy franchise holder for the Pittsburgh area. They dropped this in the early 70's near as I can recall. Big Boy later returned to Pittsburgh when the Elby's chain from the Wheeling, WV area moved into the area. I recall one store on US 19 in Mt. Lebanon and another inside Century III Mall. They closed about a decade ago.
This was the original Eat n' Park location on PA Route 51 south. It is now an independently
owned diner called Frank and Shirley's.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc-3rFLfXMU/TgcfqILtHbI/AAAAAAAAAoI/ZLDhgKLcuwI/s1600/IMG_20110625_101109.jpg)
Frisch's Big Boy eyes expansion
http://fortune.com/2015/08/31/boss-frischs-big-boy-expansion/
I hope they come East.
I have a lot of good memories of hanging out at Elias Bros. Big Boy in Michigan
when I lived out there.
My first day living in Michigan:
I pulled into the Ames store in Hillsdale that morning and got myself situated.
Up the street was an old-school Elias Bros. Big Boy that had not been remodeled
since the 1950's. I decided to go there for lunch.
I walked in, and was greeted by a large poster-sized black-and-white photo of
a girl holding on to a cow. She was smiling, and had a large ribbon on her
chest. The cow had one as well.
I was seated, and at my table was a placard bearing the same photo, along with
the following text:
Elias Bros. Big Boy of Hillsdale
Is Pleased to Announce
That the Hillsdale County Fair 4H
Grand Champion Steer.....
....Will Be Available in Selected Menu Items, Beginning October 21.
I ordered the shrimp platter.