The Downfall Of Bob's Big Boy Hamburgers, Explained

The United States has a major love affair with hamburgers. Everyone has a favorite burger, or an opinion on what the best burger in each state is. Given how popular hamburgers are, it's hard to imagine that there are defunct burger chains. Bob's Big Boy hamburgers is a perfect example of a business that capitalized on the popularity of hamburgers but ultimately still wound up falling from grace.

Initially opened in 1949, Bob's Big Boy rose to fame thanks to its iconic appearance and delicious burgers, and it remained popular for several decades. However, the sale of operations in 1987 ultimately led to the chain filing for bankruptcy, although the exact reasoning for this is unclear. Thankfully, this wasn't the end of Bob's Big Boy; there are still some locations in operation today. In fact, there's been a slight uptick in Bob's Big Boy locations, with the chain making triumphant returns in places it was formerly closed, such as in Nevada. It's still a far cry from the kingdom the chain once had, but perhaps one day Bob's Big Boy will return to its former glory.

Bob's Big Boy was founded by Bob Wian in 1936. A year later, the restaurant fulfilled a request for a different burger than usual, which ultimately led to the creation of the double cheeseburger — something attributed to Bob's Big Boy to this day. The name change also came around this time, supposedly when Bob forgot the name of a young boy and greeted him by saying "hey, big boy," as well as the character mascot that would become iconic in the eyes of the public.

The pieces were in place and Bob's Big Boy began to take off. By the 1950's, it had grown into a successful chain and started to go national. By 1964, over 100 locations were in operation. The chain only continued to grow and reached over 1,000 locations in 1979; the chain got so big it began drawing celebrity fans, including actress Debbie Reynolds and director David Lynch. Things changed in 1987 when Big Boy operations were sold to the Elias brothers, longtime franchisees and friends of the founder. The sale proved to be ill fated; the chain dropped to under 100 locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2000. Despite this, the chain endured and has even managed to recover somewhat throughout the years. Today, Bob's Big Boy still has its fair share of fans online and the oldest location in existence has become a tourist hotspot for foodie historians.