The Other Burger Chain Owned By Big Boy Is Named After His Girlfriend

Before there was the Big Mac from McDonald's or the Double Baconator from Wendy's, there was the Big Boy. A burger with three buns, two patties, cheese, and all the fixings was invented by Bob Wian in Glendale, California, in 1937. Wian started selling Big Boys at his restaurant, and it grew into such a success that it spun his restaurant into something entirely different, plus several licensed franchises around the country, many of which are still in operation today.

If you live in Ohio, you might start to notice a new restaurant named "Dolly's Burgers and Shakes" taking over where old Frisch's Big Boys restaurants used to be. The retro-themed joints aren't named after Dolly Parton (though mac and cheese is one of Parton's favorite foods), but instead named after the character Big Boy's girlfriend from his comic series originally penned by Stan Lee. In 1956, the first Big Boy comic was published by Timely Comics (which would become Marvel in 1961), inspired by the little character with red hair, wide eyes, and baggy overalls. Dolly was later introduced during one of Big Boy's many adventures.

Dolly's restaurants are owned by the Big Boy Restaurant Group (BBRG), the company that eventually took ownership of the original Bob's Big Boy brand created by Wian (one of 13 iconic LA restaurants that have appeared on the big and small screen). Technically, Frisch's Big Boys is just one of the many licensed franchises that sell the Big Boys' food and image, alongside Elias Brothers Big Boy. Dolly's is joining the fray to bring back many of the classic Big Boy foods to the Ohio area, such as burgers, chicken sandwiches, loaded mac and cheese, fried shrimp, desserts, and more.

It hasn't been happy sailing for Dolly's quite yet. The first location opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, in March 2025, but Frisch's Big Boys hit back at the planned opening by filing a lawsuit that condemned BBRG for infringing on "federally protected trademark rights to exclusively operate restaurants within Frisch's territory under the Big Boy name," according to WLWT5 news, which include the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Frisch's closed more than 50 locations within the last year amid financial struggles, leaving ample space for Dolly's to swoop in and take up the mantle. Even if, legally, things are a bit messy, plenty of fast food restaurants have faced lawsuits before, and Dolly's has moved forward with six locations in the state of Ohio.