Slicing a bun into three slices and adding two hamburger patties, Wian is credited with creating the original double-decker or "double-deck" hamburger. When Wian began franchising his restaurant across the United States in s, he only required franchisees to use "Big Boy", and omit his name "Bob's".
The chain then changed hands several times after Wian sold it in It was eventually purchased by a group of Michigan investors in , renaming the chain's parent company Big Boy Restaurant Group. Among those restaurants, two are now protected historic landmarks: the Burbank location on Riverside Drive and the Downey location, previously known as Johnie's Broiler. The other locations across the United States, either directly under the Big Boy Restaurant Group or operated independently by trademark co-registrant Frisch's Big Boy , continue to omit "Bob's".
Wian was promoted to fry cook and then a manager. Wanting wider experience, Wian quit and took a dishwashing job with his favorite Glendale restaurant, Lionel Sternberger 's Rite Spot. Wian also patronized other restaurants looking for additional menu items, attempting to recreate the favored items at home, and sometimes prodding food suppliers for how they were made. Brown's Ice Cream Parlor.
Six months later, Wian assembled his special double-decker hamburger. Created as a joke for a customer wanting something different, the novel hamburger began drawing business. The "snappy" name given to the popular sandwich provided a new name for his restaurant: Bob's Big Boy.
Wian opened a second drive-in in Burbank in , [ 14 ] launching drive-in curb service at both locations. During World War II , Wian experienced shortages of both meat and manpower, and one of the four Bob's then in operation closed. Wian Enterprises to assume his restaurant business. By , eight Bob's Big Boys were in operation. Wian provided his workers health insurance and a profit-sharing plan , [ 15 ] which included the option of employees to franchise a Bob's.
