Big Boy Restaurant in Manistique MI by John Gagnon

Although Bob’s Pantry first opened its doors in Glendale, California in 1936, you can be forgiven if you think of Big Boy as an authentically Michigan restaurant. After all, it was way back in 1952 when brothers John, Louis & Fred Elias received the very first Big Boy® franchise license for the former Dixie Drive-In in Hazel Park, Michigan. By 1964, the Elias Brothers had opened 100 restaurants bearing the Elias Brothers Big Boy name throughout Michigan and Ohio with over 170 restaurants at their peak. They purchased the Big Boy chain in 1987, moving moved the headquarters to Warren where it operated until bankruptcy in 2000. According to the map on the Big Boy website, there’s about 40 locations remaining in Michigan.

John took this photo of one of the two remaining Upper Peninsula Big Boys in Manistique a couple weeks ago (the other is in Marquette). See more in his Retro gallery & follow him on Flickr for the latest!

PS: It’s a perfect time to read about the Big Boy Graveyard!