Bob's Big Boy

Sitting on my desk at church and in my studio is a statue of Bob. He is only about 6 inches in height, but in my memory he is still 10 feet tall. Standing guard outside of my family's favorite restaurant, the big plastic Bob held a hamburger high above his head with his right arm, leaving his bulging tummy, wrapped in checkered overalls, proudly casting a shadow over his black boots. He always quietly greeted us as we walked into our local Bob's Big Boy and I always hugged him on the way out.

Last year my bother Jon and I made a pilgrimage back to southern California. We rented a car and drove through Hollywood, then to Warner Brothers Studio, where we decided to take a lunch break in Burbank at possibly the only one of the early Big Boy restaurants still standing today. Built in 1949, this particular Bob's, as well as the long-gone 1936 original in Glendale, was a popular place to grab a burger, fries and a shake by young and old alike. My dad visited the shop in Glendale as a teen when it was a little place. The company expanded over the years and Bob made his way to Orange County where we would visit as a family.

The burger had a sweet relish that distinguished it amongst the growing burger market of the 50s and 60s. They supplied a shaker of special seasoning on each table that the waitresses encouraged patrons to sprinkle on the fries. There was always a salad on their hamburger combo, covered with Thousand Island dressing. The cherry coke was heavenly, especially when you got that last concentrated grenadine slurp at the bottom of the empty glass. When we left the restaurant there was a Big Boy comic book waiting for the kids, next to the check out. It was only once a month or so that my folks would spring for this treat and Bob's was a favorite with all of us.

Back in the early 80s, a friend of mine stole Bob from outside a Big Boy restaurant. I know it was wrong, but it cracks me up! He had him, along with a huge Ronald McDonald, in his living room until they were reluctantly returned.



These days Bob has gone through many owners and even went through bankruptcy in 2000. Thanks to a new owner, calling the franchise Big Boy Restaurants International, the name of it's star is still out front and center, and the image of the chubby young man with the burger still greets customers all over the world. Since I will never have that life-sized Bob, still the little statue on my desk winks at me every day and reminds me that everything is gonna be OK.