Bob Wian
Bob Wian | |
|---|---|
Wian c. 1948 | |
| Born | June 15, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | March 31, 1992 (aged 77) |
| Burial place | Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar, California |
| Occupation(s) | Restaurateur, businessman, fry cook |
| Years active | 1933–1969 |
| Known for | Founding Bob's Big Boy and the national Big Boy chain; inventing the double-deck hamburger |
| Board member of |
|
| Spouses |
|
| Mayor of Glendale, California | |
| In office October 1948 – April 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph F. Baudino |
| Succeeded by | George R. Wickham |
| Signature | |
Robert C. Wian (June 15, 1914 – March 31, 1992) was the founder of the Big Boy restaurant chain. The restaurant started as a 10-stool hamburger stand in Glendale, California, opening in 1936 with an investment of $300 raised from the sale of his car. Wian sold Bob's Big Boy and rights to the Big Boy chain to the Marriott Corp. in 1967 for $7 million ($66 million in 2024).