Big Boy Bobby

The Bob’s Big Boy franchise was established by Socal businessman and former fry cook Bob Wian in 1936, and grew from a hamburger stand in Glendale, California bought using the proceeds of Wian’s ’33 Desoto Roadster as down payment, to 238 sites by the end of the 1980s. The Burbank restaurant is the oldest remaining Bob’s. Built in 1949 as a drive-in with carhop service, it put LA architect Wayne Mcallister on the map. Now a drivethru, Bob’s Burbank becomes a suburban motoring mecca on Friday nights. Take a cross section of all the machines and people milling about the dimly lit lot, and you’ll struggle to identify a dominant brand, modification style or demographic. It’s car culture at its best – as a great leveller – and people united by a love of them. And of Bob’s double-deck burgers.