The iconic burger-holding, checkered-aproned, wavy brown-haired boy is getting replaced, but not across L.A.
Bob’s Big Boy recently announced a new mascot, a more obscure character from the nearly-century–old diner’s history, to help launch a new item: The blonde, pony-tailed Dolly, who made her first appearance in Bob’s Big Boy canon via the restaurant chain’s comic books, is now the face of the brand and a limited-run fried chicken sandwich—but not everywhere.
“We kind of want to continue to show that we’re still moving forward,” Frank Alessandri, director of training, said in a TV interview with Michigan’s WOODTV. “We recognize the times that we’re in, but we want to set ourselves up for the future as well.”
Dolly has already taken over the iconography across the chain’s website and Instagram account, but not at Burbank’s, which remains the oldest surviving Bob’s Big Boy location. An employee at the Burbank outpost confirmed to Time Out L.A. that Dolly won’t be bumping Big Boy out of the limelight here, despite local reports indicating she will. In fact, Bob’s Big Boy Burbank—which maintains its own website and social media presence—hasn’t acknowledged Dolly at all.
Similarly, the Downey location is staying the course with Big Boy. “We’re participating in the promotion for the sandwich, but we’re not doing any mascot changes,” a representative from the Downey restaurant told us. An employee at the Northridge location could not confirm.
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Even at participating locations (primarily in Michigan), Big Boy isn’t entirely disappearing; Big Boy statues will still remain out front, and the burger legend’s signature item—the double-deck hamburger—will still be available.
“It is Dolly’s time to shine now with our chicken sandwich,” Alessandri continued. “So, she’s taken the forefront right now. She’s in charge. The name will always be Big Boy but as far as the logo, she’s leading the charge and we’ll see when he comes back if he does.”
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