Bob's Big Boy Matchbook Cover - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg - 2008Bob's Big Boy Restaurants in Burbank, Van Nuys, Glendale and Canoga Park were essential elements of teen-age life in the San Fernando Valley in the 1950s and '60s. In 1993 Bob's on Van Nuys Boulevard was demolished marking an end to the great cruising adventure of decades.
Gary Fredburg, vice president of your Museum, calls attention to the story in today's Daily News (March 27, 2008) entitled "Hot Cars, Double Deckers Top Bob's Big Boy Menu". A Burbank resident and car lover, Gary believes that automobiles and coffee shops are important part of San Fernando Valley history and culture.
Vintage Postcard - Panoramic View of Burbank, California.Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Gary Fredburg 2008
The view looks north toward Bob Hope Airport then called the Lockheed Airport. The cars and clothing styles on the car might give us an idea of the card's date of printing.
5 comments:
This is a great article that includes Bob's in Burbank. Bob's in Burbank is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year and has gone completely solar. They have proven businesses can be successful, have longevity and be environmentally conscious. I found them at sixtyandsolar.com
In the 60's my parents woulld take the family to Bob's in Canoga Park on Sherman Way. It has since been demolished. I would always get the jumbo shrimp dinner and top it off with a hot fudge sundae which came with extra fudge on the side.
My sister worked at Bob's on San Fernando Blvd in the 60's. I still have an 8mm movie of her in her uniform as a waitress (she was never a car hop, but wanted to be. I am very interested in finding a picture of the old San Fernando Bob's as a gift to my sis. If anyone could find one, please let me know at bassinman200@gmail.com and I will have it printed and framed for her. She told me that the Beach Boys performed at Sylmar High while she was there. I was only privy to seeing Sonny and Cher singing "I Got You, Babe" while I was living in the Valley. My friends still lived there during the quake, and sent me pics of the intersection of Sayer and Glennoaks where a T-Bird buried it's nose in a hole. I lived on Sayer Street in Sylmar and attended Dyer Street Elementary and Olive Vista Junior High before moving to Oklahoma in 1967. Any pics of the Restaurant on San Fernando will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I forgot to mention that my Dad and Mom both worked at Lockheed prior to WWII. Mom was the first female hired in the 'experimental division' and actually was the original Rosie The Riviter (this is documented), but promotion found another person for the composite drawing for the posters and she got the credit of being 'Rosie'. Dad was building P-38's and later enlisted and attended Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) in the internal combustion classes furnished/required by the U.S. Army Air Corps (not the Air Force until 1947). He later became an Arial Engineer and pilot stationed on Okinawa in the Japanese Islands while Mom went home to take care of my older sister while Dad was overseas. We all moved to CA in 1957, and I was 13 when we left CA. I am very familiar with the 'Valley' area even though I was only there for 10 years. Foothill Blvd was my main hang out with the shopping center (small strip mall) headed by Von's (Shopping Bag is was known as at the time), where I would go to get a Vernors Ginger Ale (Versors is a 'Go-Go') and listen to the Monkees singing Last Train To Clarksville. Spent a lot of time at Bob's, since my Sis worked there, the whole family and friends patronized the restaurant both inside, and at the drive-in in back.
Thanks for posting! It's sad that I've seen so many Big Boy restaurants close. My family mostly went to the ones in Canoga Park and Burbank. In fact, I worked at the one in Burbank when I was 16. If you want to suck all the fun out of a place, get a job there. I live on the East Coast now, but try to get back whenever possible. When I go back there now, I only have fond memories.
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