Big Boy Restaurants

Big Boy Restaurants
Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC
	Logo as of 2020
Trade name	Big Boy
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.
Founder	Bob Wian
Headquarters	Southfield, Michigan, United States
Number of locations	66 (US); Licensed outside US; 2 (Thailand); Independent; 85(Frisch's Big Boy); 274 (Big Boy Japan);
Area served	Michigan (56 stores); California (4 stores as Bob's Big Boy); Ohio (2 stores); Nevada (2 stores); North Dakota (1 store); Wisconsin (1 store); Outside of US; Thailand (2 stores); ;
Key people	Tamer Afr (CEO, 2020–present); David B. Crawford (CEO, 2018–2020); Bruce Ferguson (CFO); Robert Liggett, Jr. (Chairman, 2000–2018);
Products	Big Boy hamburger; Brawny Lad sandwich; Hot Fudge Cake; Slim Jim sandwich; Strawberry pie; Fish and Chips;
Website	bigboy.com

Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. The Big Boy name, design aesthetic, and menu were previously licensed to a number of regional franchisees.

Big Boy began as Bob's Pantry in 1936 by Bob Wian in Glendale, California.^: 11 The restaurants became known as "Bob's", "Bob's Drive-Ins", "Bob's, Home of the Big Boy Hamburger", 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. The company is the operator or franchisor for 66 Big Boy restaurants in the United States and two in Thailand. In January 2020, Tamer Afr replaced Crawford as chairman, CEO, and co-owner.

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. Thus Frisch's is no longer a franchisee, but Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch's are now independent co-registrants of the Big Boy name and trademark. Frisch's operates 90 Big Boy restaurants in the United States, which 10 are franchised.

Big Boy Japan, also independent of Big Boy Restaurant Group, operates 274 restaurants in Japan.

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