Frisch's Big Boy history

In 1944, Frisch, with financial backing from Fred Cornuelle, opened a second restaurant.

Larry Hatch, founder of Eat'n Park Restaurants in Pittsburgh, observed the Frisch's drive-in operation in 1948 in Cincinnati.

David Frisch opened three more Big Boy Drive–In Restaurants in 1949 – including the first in Kentucky – and opened his fifth drive–in the following year.

The original artwork for the Parkette used the Frisch "East Coast" Big Boy character, and print advertisements for Parkette would switch off, using both designs through 1954.

In 1955, Frisch's subfranchised northwest Ohio to Toledo brothers Milton and David Bennett, to operate under the Frisch's Big Boy name.

By 1960, the company issued stock to fuel continued growth in ancillary service sectors such as hotels.

By the fall of 1961 upwards of 150 drive–ins were in service by Frisch's and its franchisees.

The Cincinnati McDonald's restaurants introduced the Filet-O-Fish in 1963 in an aggressive campaign against Frisch's.

In 1966, Frisch opened a more formal restaurant in the Cincinnati area, called Annette's, after his wife.

In 1967, Frisch's entered the lodging business with the opening of Quality Hotel Central in Norwood, across the street from the original Stag Lunch.

Known as the East Coast Big Boy, this mark represented Frisch's and its licensees Manners and Azar's through 1969.

David Frisch died in 1970, and his son-in law, Jack C. Maier was elected President and Chairman of the Board.

After the death of Dave Frisch, a fourth Ohio Elby's Big Boy prepared to open in 1971, but Frisch's unexpectedly demanded much higher fees for the unit.

In 1972, Frisch's purchased Kip's Big Boy which covered Texas, Oklahoma and areas of Kansas.

Eat'n Park chose not to renew its Big Boy franchise agreement in 1975.

Overall, the lawsuits were unsuccessful and both Elby's and Shoney's dropped Big Boy affiliation completely in 1984.

However, by 1986, the company owned 105 Big Boy restaurants, 19 Roy Rogers restaurants, and three Prime 'n Wine restaurants.

In 1987, it acquired the rights to develop Big Boys in parts of Georgia and Tennessee in addition to the rights already secured in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and parts of Kansas.

In 1988, in exchange for allowing Elias Brothers to operate (former Elby's and Manner's) Big Boys in Ohio, Frisch's received Big Boy rights in parts of Tennessee and Georgia.

When Maier retired in 1989, his son Craig F. Maier became President and CEO.

In 1990, when Marriott Corp. sold Roy Rogers to Hardee's, all but one of Frisch's Cincinnati area Roy Rogers outlets was converted to a Hardee's restaurant.

Frisch’s Big Boy: A Louisville Memoir By Rick Mattingly Originally appeared in The Louisville Courier-Journal November 11, 1994.

In 1996, two non-management investors, calling themselves Wolverine Partners, launched a proxy fight to gain themselves and two other non-management investors seats on the board of directors of Frisch's Family Restaurants.

1998:Company begins divesting its non-core assets in order to refocus on restaurants.

At the end of 1999, the company's board of directors announced the approval of an additional repurchase of up to 200,000 shares of its common shares.

On March 14, 2000, Frisch's announced that its board had voted to divest the company's Clarion Riverview Hotel and the Quality Central Hotel.

In 2003, Frisch's Big Boy consisted of 120 restaurants.

Atlanta-based private equity firm NRD Capital bought the chain from its family ownership in 2015.

In 2017 a redesigned statue resembling the West Coast Big Boy was introduced.