Bob Wian

American restaurateur (1914–1992)

Robert C. Wian (June 15, 1914 – March 31, 1992) was an American businessman and restaurateur best known as the founder of the Big Boy restaurant chain. Wian began the chain as a 10-stool hamburger stand in Glendale, California, opening in 1936 with an investment of $300 raised from the sale of his car.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Bob Wian (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jun 15, 1914, died Mar 31, 1992.¹

About

He sold Bob's Big Boy and rights to the Big Boy chain to the Marriott Corporation in 1967 for $7 million ($68 million in 2025).

From Wikipedia’s article on Bob Wian, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.²

Companies

Big Boy RestaurantsFounder¹⁰

Early life and education

Date not recordedGlendale High School (California)³

Career

Occupation: restaurateur.⁶

Date not recordedFounded Big Boy Restaurants⁴
Date not recordedFounded Bob's Big Boy⁵

Personal life

BornJun 15, 1914, Philadelphia⁷
DiedMar 31, 1992, Newport Beach⁸
CitizenshipUnited States⁹

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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WikidataBob Wian on Wikidata
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WikipediaBob Wian on Wikipedia
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WikidataBob Wian: education, on Wikidata
4
WikidataBob Wian: Founded Big Boy Restaurants, on Wikidata
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WikidataBob Wian: Founded Bob's Big Boy, on Wikidata
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WikidataBob Wian: occupation, on Wikidata
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WikidataBob Wian: place of birth, on Wikidata
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WikidataBob Wian: place of death, on Wikidata
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WikidataBob Wian: citizenship, on Wikidata
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WikidataBig Boy Restaurants, Founder