County of sculpture: St. Louis County
Location of sculpture: N Outer 40 Rd. (Old US-40) & I-70 @ Boone's Crossing, Chesterfield
This Big Boy statue is in front of the H Pointe Burger joint in The District section of Chesterfield, in the Chesterfield Valley.
"Started as Bob's Pantry with the Big Boy Burger in 1936.
"1937: Customers couldn't get enough of Bob's new creation. One fan in particular was a chubby six year old boy in droopy overalls. He would often help Bob sweep up in exchange for a free burger. In honor of his young friend, Wian decided to name the better burger the Big Boy.
"Another regular customer, a movie studio animator, sketched the now famous character on a napkin. The Big Boy® burger craze that ensued prompted Bob to change the stand’s name to Bob's Big Boy® and to introduce the now-iconic Big Boy® mascot.
"1949: The oldest remaining Bob's Big Boy in America was built in Burbank, CA in 1949 by local residents Scott MacDonald and Ward Albert.
"1952: Brothers John, Louis, and Fred Elias were the first to formally apply to Bob Wian for a Big Boy® franchise license. Their restaurant called the Dixie Drive-In in Hazel Park, MI became the first official Big Boy® franchise.
"1956: The first edition of the Big Boy comic series was published, written by Stan Lee and produced by Timely Comics (later known as Marvel!) until 1961. Manny Stallman, followed by Bob Bindig, continued the series until 1996, making it one of the longest-running comics in American history.
"1964: By 1964, the Elias Brothers had opened 100 restaurants bearing the Elias Brothers Big Boy® name throughout Michigan and Ohio. The Elias Brothers purchased the Big Boy® chain in 1987 and moved the headquarters to Warren, MI where they operated until 2000.
"1967: Bob Wian sold the Big Boy® chain to Marriott Corporation in 1967 for $7 million, that would be roughly $55 million today. After selling Big Boy, Bob Wian served as both vice president and president of Marriott's "Big Boy Restaurants of America" division, and later a board member, before retiring. Marriott later sold the franchise to the Elias brothers in 1987.
"2000: Robert Liggett, Jr. purchased the Big Boy® chain in 2000. He served as Chairman from 2000 to 2018. In 2018, he sold the company to a group of Michigan investors, who renamed the company Big Boy Restaurant Group." ~ Big Boys