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Big Boy Restaurants & Statues (page 4)

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The original Big Boy statues were produced by International Fiberglass in the 1960s. In the early 1980s, Big Boy had FAST of Sparta, WI produce about 100 new statues. There are many copies of these statues and I have included some below to provide examples.

Boomers Bike Shop
Clarkston, MI		 Hi-Boy Sandwich Shop [gone]
Lyndonville, VT		 former Big Boy
Northridge, CA
Boomers Bike Shop, a motorcycle store, has turned this Big Boy into Biker Boy. The statue is about nine feet tall. [map]

The Hi-Boy Sandwich Shop had a Big Boy statue on the roof. The statue was altered to hold a plate with a sandwich instead of a burger. The building now houses the Pizza Man and the statue is gone. For more, see this website.

The arm of a former Big Boy statue has been put to use as a mailbox at this residence. [map]

Nick's Barbecue
Burbank, IL		 Hi-Pointe Drive-in
St. Louis, MO		 Enzo's End Pizzeria
Denver, CO		 Park at West End
Fort Smith, AR
Nick's Barbecue features a Big Boy-like statue. I don't know whether it was inspired by the Big Boy statue or if it is actually one that has been heavily adapted. Nick's Barbecue has another location in Palos Heights, IL but it doesn't appear to have a statue like this one. [map]

This Big Boy statue at the Hi-Pointe Drive-in was installed in 2021. [map]

This Big Boy statue at Enzo's End Pizzeria came from Hammond, IN. There, he stood in front of a candy store where he was known as Candy Andy. In 2010, the statue was installed on the roof of Enzo's after being adapted to hold a pizza platter. The statue is now nicknamed Big Enzo. [map]

The Big Boy statue at the Park at West End appears to be a vintage statue that has been repainted and given shades. [map]

Bell Plastics
Hayward, CA		 Reiff's Gas Station Museum [gone]
Woodland, CA		 Route 138 Cafe
Mount Olive, IL		 Pink Elephant
Antique Mall
Livingston, IL
The Big Boy statue at Bell Plastics is one of the rare "suspenders" type statues (or a copy of one) like those shown in Livonia, MI and Ann Arbor, MI below. This statue had been modified with brass knuckles and earrings when the owner purchased him. He has been named "Bad Bob." The owner was in the middle of painting the statue when this photo was taken in 2017. There are many other fiberglass statues on display at this business. [map]

The Big Boy statue at Reiff's Gas Station Museum was a modern reproduction. The face was broader with the nose pushed in. His smile had pursed lips. The hamburger was a single patty with no middle bun and rested directly in the Boy's hand instead of on a plate. These photos are from 2014. By 2022, the museum had closed and everything was gone.

The Big Boy statue at the Route 138 Cafe is another modern reproduction. It was installed sometime between 2016 and 2021. [map]

The Big Boy statue reproduction was installed in front of the Twistee Treat Diner at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall around 2023. [map]

Dari Joy
Bellows Falls, VT
Dari Joy has been serving ice cream here since 1952. The Big Boy statue has been here since the 1960s. The statue, nicknamed the Big Joy Boy, has had his burger hand modified to wave. I believe the statue is put in storage for winter. [photo at right thanks DinerFan] [map]

Bob's Big Boy [gone]
Hesperia, CA		 Bob's Big Boy
Alhambra, CA		 Bob's Big Boy
St. Louis, MO		 Bob's Big Boy
Escondido, CA		 Bob's Big Boy
Van Nuys, CA

Bob's Big Boy
Burbank, CA		 Bob's Big Boy [gone]
Tonopah, NV		 Bob's Big Boy
Norco, CA		 Bob's Big Boy
Hesperia, CA
The Bob's Big Boy (#188) in Hesperia opened in 1982. It closed by 2011 and this statue was removed. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

The Bob's Big Boy statue in Alhambra is located inside Noodle World. The building had housed a Big Boy restaurant until 1996. Noodle World's owner bought the statue at a flea market. He pays Big Boy $1 per year for the right to display the statue.

This Big Boy statue in St. Louis is located inside the City Museum. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

This Big Boy statue in Escondido is located at the Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum.

This Big Boy statue in Van Nuys is displayed at the Valley Relics Museum.

The Bob's Big Boy statue in Burbank is located inside the Gordon R. Howard Museum. This statue holds his suspenders with both hands instead of a burger. I believe this is an older, rarer 1950s Big Boy statue.

The Bob's Big Boy statue in Tonopah was installed in front of the Tonopah Station Hotel & Casino restaurant. It had been there since around 2008. I don't believe there was ever a Bob's Big Boy restaurant there. This photo is from 2017. By 2018, the statue was gone.

The Big Boy restaurant in Norco has two Big Boy statues. One of them was custom built in 2009 as a cowboy. Norco is known as Horsetown USA. [map]

This Big Boy statue in Hesperia is located at Main Street Collectors which produces and sells fiberglass statues. This cowboy appears to be from a different mold from the one in Norco. The hat and burger are different. This shop produces the standard Big Boy statues as well.

Bob's Big Boy
Kansas City, MO		 Bob's Big Boy
Wapiti, WY
This Big Boy statue in Kansas City is in a private collection. I don't know where it came from.

This Big Boy statue in Wapiti was installed in a field on private property around 2013. [map]

Kennedy's Cakes and Donuts [gone]
Cambridge, OH
Kennedy's Cakes and Donuts had a repainted Bob's Big Boy statue next to the building. The statue's hamburger leaned against the side of the building. These photos are from 2006. This classic Big Boy statue is 10 feet tall and holds a 40-inch-wide hamburger. In 2014, the statue was sold and removed. Its new location is unknown.

Big Boy [gone]
Livonia, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Brighton, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Coldwater, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Fenton, MI
Big Boy [gone]
Alma, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Detroit, MI		 Big Boy
Mason, MI
Big Boy [gone]
Novi, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Ann Arbor, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Pittsfield
Township, MI		 Big Boy
Chesterfield, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Milan, MI		 Big Boy [gone]
Waterford, MI
There are still lots of old Big Boy restaurants in Michigan and they are still being built.

The Livonia location featured a revolving Big Boy statue on top of its sign. I don't know of any other Big Boy's that have a sign like this or if this one was unique. The Big Boy statue in front of the restaurant held both of his suspenders instead of a burger. I believe this is an older, rarer 1950s Big Boy statue. There was also another sign on the side street entrance that I missed. These photos are from 2011. By 2014, this location had closed and the statues and signs were gone. For more, see this website.

The Brighton location's statue also revolved. There are still a few signs of this design in Michigan. These photos are from 2011. By 2015, the statue and sign had been replaced with a small backlit plastic box sign.

The Coldwater statue was installed on top of the restaurant's sign. This location had closed by 2018 and the statue was gone. For more, see this website.

The Fenton location also had a sign with a statue on top. The location closed in 2017 and the statue was gone.

I believe this Alma sign was the only one of its kind left. By 2018, the restaurant had become Piper's Grill & Brew and the statue was gone.

The Detroit Big Boy statue still revolved on top of the sign when these photos were taken in 2011. This was the only Big Boy location in Detroit. It had closed by 2017 and the statue was gone.

The Mason Big Boy statue is installed on the corner of the property, acting as a sign for passing traffic. [map]

The Novi Big Boy statue was believed to have come from a Saginaw location when it closed. This location closed in 2020. By 2022, the building had been demolished and the statue was gone.

The Ann Arbor Big Boy had a "Suspenders Bob" statue like the one in Livonia shown above. I believe this statue is gone now. I don't know of any others like this still on public display. [photo thanks Mark Comstock]

The Pittsfield Township location was built in 2005 and closed in 2009. This Big Boy statue is installed in front of the restaurant.

The Chesterfield Big Boy statue spins above the sign. [map]

The Milan Big Boy statue had been here since at least the 1980s. This photo is from 2008. By 2011, the restaurant and sign were still there but the statue was gone.

The Waterford Big Boy had another statue example perched on top of a sign. This photo is from 2008. By 2015, the restaurant, statue, and sign were gone.

More Big Boy statues:
Willimantic, CT [gone]
Long Beach, CA
Covington, KY
London, KY
Gaylord, MI [gone]
Kalkaska, MI
Midland, MI
Sault Ste. Marie, MI [vintage; gone]
Southfield, MI [map]
St. Ignace, MI [map]
St. Johns, MI
Hudson, NC [gone?]
Columbus, OH
Orrville, OH
Florence, SC
Hendersonville, NC
Dallas, TX
Kaatsheuvel, Holland

Big Boy
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