The Herald Bulletin
History of the Big Boy
The Big Boy chain began in Glendale, Calif., when Bob Wian sold his car and opened a small restaurant call Bob’s Pantry. Throughout the years, it has splintered into several brands — including Bob’s, Frisch’s, Azar’s, Kip’s, Abdow’s, Elby’s. Elias Brothers, Kebo’s, etc. — but the essentials still hold. The triple-decker hamburger credited to Wian (predating McDonald’s similar Big Mac by several years) is served in most of the chain’s locations, although the ones in California use, not the tartar sauce featured in Indiana, but a tomato relish, kind of like cocktail sauce for shrimp. The name “Big Boy” came from Richard Woodruff, a pudgy young boy of 6 who walked in hungry for a sandwich. Wian jokingly nicknamed him “Big Boy.” And the monicker stuck. (The original design was reportedly sketched by Benny Washman, an animator from Warner Brothers.)
Interesting fact: In some parts of the country, the Big Boy wears striped overalls, while in others, they bear a checked pattern.
— From BigBoy.com. Frisch’s.com and Wikipedia.com
History of Frisch’s in Anderson
The first Frisch’s was opened by Samuel Frisch in Cincinnati in 1905. One of his surviving sons, David, bought into the Big Boy franchise in 1948. It was David’s idea to use tartar sauce on the Frisch’s Big Boy instead of the thousand island dressing or cocktail sauce used in other locations.
The Frisch’s in Anderson was originally owned by Edward R. Todtenbier. Actually, there were three Frisch’s in Anderson — the existing location, one on the southeast corner of Ninth and Meridian streets and a third at the Mounds Mall. (The downtown location is now a professional building, and the Mounds Mall location later housed La Charreada Mexican Restaurant.) Todtenbier, who at one time owned 16 Frisch’s locations, died in 2007, and his son, Ren Todtenbier, is in charge today.
— From the Shreveport (La.) Times, Wikipedia.com
