Bob's Big Boy

Bob’s Big Boy restaurant, a chain that first opened in 1963 by Bob Wian, has been a symbol of the L.A. lifestyle for many years. With it being the original seller of the Double Decker Burger, which influenced several fast food chains, Bob's Big Boy restaurants played a significant role in some of the food we are served today. Currently, 84 of Bob’s Big Boy restaurants continue to operate across the United States.

Bob's Big Boy restaurants have been serving food across the United States (and outside) for nearly 90 years. The first Bob's Big Boy started in 1936 as a 10-stool hamburger stand in Glendale, originally named Bob's Pantry. Bob Wian opened the stand after years of being seen as someone who would never succeed. He did poorly in school, and had to find ways to make money after his father's furniture business went bankrupt during the Great Depression. He was even voted most unlikely to succeed by his classmates in high school. After graduating high school, Wian began working at several restaurants, and became very interested in how everything worked within them. He became determined to open his own restaurant and prove his classmates wrong. 

The restaurant chain quickly caught on, and inspired other chains with its Double Decker Burger. The Big Mac and the Big King no doubt originated from Wian's creation, which most people don’t realize today. It's fascinating to see how the burger made as a joke influenced the food that we eat today. However, this item was really the only original dish that Bob's Big Boy served. Bob Wian used the knowledge he gained from working at other restaurants to duplicate similar dishes for his own restaurant. For example, the hot fudge sundae that's served there was based off of a sundae from C. C. Brown's Ice Cream Parlor. 

More and more restaurants began popping up across the United States, with over 240 locations operating at its peak. Additionally, at its pinnacle in the 80's, the restaurants were a popular spot to go after watching a high school football game or on the weekends. Teens would gather to show off their cars, flirt, fight, and hang out with friends.

Aside from the creation of the Double Decker burger, Bob's Big Boy is significant architecturally. The style of the diners, specifically the location in Burbank, is a great example of the postwar coffee shop style. This location was built in 1949 by locals Scott MacDonald and Ward Albert. It remains the oldest operating Bob's Big Boy in the U.S, being the third ever built. It incorporates the 1940's transitional design of Streamline Moderne style, along with 1950's coffee shop architecture. This style is often referred to as 'Googie architecture', which originated in Southern California. The place is of historical interest not just because of the chain's legacy, but also to showcase the "Googie" architecture of the past. 

Today, Bob's Big Boy in Burbank remains a popular spot for history enthusiasts interested in its older "Googie" design. People also continue to visit for the “Beatles Booth”, where the band once ate after a performance nearby. The restaurant put up a plaque describing the event, which fans had stolen several times before it was replaced. The landmark stands as a reminder of life in the early 50’s, taking you back in time as soon as you step inside.

• Los Angeles Conservancy, "Bob’s Big Boy", [Burbank, California], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/CA-01-037-0059. Last accessed: November 29, 2023.
• Wikipedia contributors, "Bob's Big Boy," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob%27s_Big_Boy&oldid=1183008282 (accessed November 29, 2023).
• Wikipedia contributors, "Big Boy Restaurants," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Boy_Restaurants&oldid=1184254239 (accessed November 29, 2023).
• “History.” n.d. Bob’s Big Boy Burbank. https://bobs.net/pages/history.
• Rasmussen, Cecilia. 2003. “When Bob’s Was the Big Hangout.” Los Angeles Times. November 2, 2003. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-02-me-then2-story.html.