Big Boy Panorama - Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Big Boy Panorama - Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A Big Boy statue stands atop a pedestal on the south side of the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway (US Highway 20/16/14 ) between mile markers 34 and 35 east of Wapiti, Wyoming, between Cody and the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. No one seems to know much about it other than he just appeared in place sometime in the summer of 2013.
In 1936, Bob Wian launched a hamburger stand called Bob's Pantry. His unique double-decker hamburger, humorously created for a customer seeking something different, quickly became popular and was dubbed the Big Boy. The novelty of this burger attracted many customers. During the 1940s, Wian started franchising the Big Boy concept with a stipulation: franchises had to sell the Big Boy Hamburger and could use the Big Boy name alongside their own, but not Bob's. The first three franchises were named Frisch's Big Boy, Eat'n Park Big Boy, and Shoney's Big Boy.
Its mascot famously represents the chain—a chubby boy with a pompadour hairstyle dressed in red and white checkered overalls, holding up a Big Boy double-decker cheeseburger. This mascot was modeled after Richard Woodruff, a six-year-old from Glendale, California. According to legend, when Woodruff entered the restaurant as Wian was brainstorming names for his new burger creation, Wian greeted him with Hello, Big Boy!—and the name stuck.
Due to various restaurant closures or rebranding of former Big Boy restaurants on the West Coast, many statues of this iconic mascot ended up in private hands and are frequently traded on eBay. It’s possible that this particular statue originated from such a transaction.
Copyright 2024 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
September 26th, 2024
Embed
Share
Similar Images
Recently Viewed
