Hardees/Carl's Jr Rallys/Checkers....Why?

[alted315]

@kath94

When I was a kid my family traveled by car from California to Massachusetts, and we noticed lots of “Big Boy” restaurants across the country. They all had the same menu, the same mascot, but different names. It was always “Bob’s” in California, and I recall “Shoney’s” and “Frisch’s.” Were there any more?

I always wondered if they were franchised or owned by different family members or what. Anybody know?

In WI. it was Marc’s

[Thudlow_Boink]

@kath94

When I was a kid my family traveled by car from California to Massachusetts, and we noticed lots of “Big Boy” restaurants across the country. They all had the same menu, the same mascot, but different names. It was always “Bob’s” in California, and I recall “Shoney’s” and “Frisch’s.” Were there any more?

I always wondered if they were franchised or owned by different family members or what. Anybody know?

Wikipedia explains:

In addition to the Bob’s Big Boy name, the “Big Boy” concept, menu, and mascot were originally licensed to a wide number of regional franchise holders, listed below (with approximate licensed territories in parentheses). Because many of the early franchisees were already in the restaurant business when joining Big Boy, “Big Boy” was added to the franchisee name just as the Big Boy hamburger was added to the franchisee’s menu. In this sense it is confusing when referring to a chain, as each named franchisee was itself a chain and Big Boy could be considered a chain of chains. People tend to know Big Boy not simply as Big Boy but as the franchise from where they lived such as Bob’s Big Boy in California, Shoney’s Big Boy in the south or Frisch’s Big Boy in much of Ohio, among the many others.

[That_Don_Guy]

There are Rally’s in northern California, and Checkers in southern California (in fact, there’s a Rally’s about 75 miles from a Checkers) as well as in Las Vegas.

This doesn’t go just for fast food; why is it Best Foods mayonnaise in the west and Hellmann’s in the east? There was also a time when McCormick spices were called Schilling in the west (in fact, McCormick-Schilling was a sponsor of the 1970s CBS Match Game, and at the end of the plug for it, the announcer would say, “McCormick in the east, Schilling in the west”); apparently, Schilling was a San Francisco-based company bought out by McCormick but they kept the old name in the west for familiarity reasons until the early 2000s. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Rainbo/Kilpatrick’s bread.

[Accidental_Martyr]

Hardee’s is in the South. The only places I’ve seen Carl’s Jr. is in the Western US.

[Skywatcher]

@kath94

When I was a kid my family traveled by car from California to Massachusetts, and we noticed lots of “Big Boy” restaurants across the country. They all had the same menu, the same mascot, but different names. It was always “Bob’s” in California, and I recall “Shoney’s” and “Frisch’s.” Were there any more?

I always wondered if they were franchised or owned by different family members or what. Anybody know?

Bob’s had a major presence in Northern Virginia until the '90s, when Marriott divested themselves of their food & entertainment properties.

[pulykamell]

@kath94

When I was a kid my family traveled by car from California to Massachusetts, and we noticed lots of “Big Boy” restaurants across the country. They all had the same menu, the same mascot, but different names. It was always “Bob’s” in California, and I recall “Shoney’s” and “Frisch’s.” Were there any more?

I always wondered if they were franchised or owned by different family members or what. Anybody know?

There’s a whole list here under “Roster of Named Franchisees.” I actually never made the connection between Shoney’s and Big Boy.

[seal_cleaner]

I’ve never been in Hardee’s that wasn’t filthy.

[Mahaloth]

@Smeghead

I seem to recall Carl’s Jr buying Hardees a few decades ago. So I think they started off as different companies, and when they merged, they kept the familiar brand names in each area.

I can confirm we had independent Hardees here in Michigan growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s. Never liked it much.

I have been to California and had Carl’s Jr. a few times and like it a lot more, but I have not returned to Hardees here in Michigan since the 90’s.

@Biggirl

I live in NY and have never seen a Rally’s. Checkers are now all over the place with their nasty-assed mayo burgers.

We had Rally’s here in Michigan for years and I assumed they were separate from Hardees and Carl’s Jr. However, they did all become Checkers about 8 years ago and I have eaten there. Not bad, especially the $1 French Fry burger.

Rally’s and Checkers here have always been drive-through only. It was(is?) their main characteristic.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@pulykamell

Huh. I wish I had known that during the approximately five minutes a few years ago there was a Del Taco here in the Chicago area. I did manage to try (and enjoy) their fish tacos, though.

Del Taco fries are the bomb as well.

[Ponch8]

@That_Don_Guy

There are Rally’s in northern California, and Checkers in southern California (in fact, there’s a Rally’s about 75 miles from a Checkers) as well as in Las Vegas.

This doesn’t go just for fast food; why is it Best Foods mayonnaise in the west and Hellmann’s in the east? There was also a time when McCormick spices were called Schilling in the west (in fact, McCormick-Schilling was a sponsor of the 1970s CBS Match Game, and at the end of the plug for it, the announcer would say, “McCormick in the east, Schilling in the west”); apparently, Schilling was a San Francisco-based company bought out by McCormick but they kept the old name in the west for familiarity reasons until the early 2000s. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Rainbo/Kilpatrick’s bread.

There’s also Edy’s ice cream in the east vs. Dreyer in the west (at least as of a few years ago…maybe they’ve harmonized names since then). I also remember a trip to Seattle in 1991, and I saw a commercial that I thought was for Payless Shoes, only it was called Volume Shoes in Washington and Oregon. I believe that they are called Payless nationwide these days.

[Just_Asking_Questions]

@cochrane

In the 80s, Rally’s was here in Arizona for a brief time. I loved their fries.

Still in Mesa. Two lane drive through, with a couple outdoor tables.

[Chronos]

“Carl Jr in the West” is oversimplified, too: When I was in Bozeman, MT, what we had was a Hardee’s. Well, at least until it closed.

And the drive-through burger place in Cleveland is Rally’s.

[Eddie_F]

@kath94

When I was a kid my family traveled by car from California to Massachusetts, and we noticed lots of “Big Boy” restaurants across the country. They all had the same menu, the same mascot, but different names. It was always “Bob’s” in California, and I recall “Shoney’s” and “Frisch’s.” Were there any more?

I always wondered if they were franchised or owned by different family members or what. Anybody know?

One thing that is unique about the Frisch’s Big Boy franchise - or so I’ve been told - is that they use their own brand of tartar sauce (quite simply, the Condiment of the Gods, which can be purchased by the jarful at the restaurants and in all supermarkets in the region) to slather their Big Boys and Super Big Boys with. I think at all other locations, including the original Bob’s, they use the same thousand island-ish sauce that McDonald’s uses.

(Behold, in all its glory: http://www.cincy2u.com/files/2241887/uploaded/2%20Frischs%2016oz.JPG)

[Diceman]

Metro Detroit. I’ve seen both Rally’s and Checkers around here. There really doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. It’s like they roll dice to determine what the name of the restaurant will be.

[Just_Asking_Questions]

Before Hardees was assimilated by Carls J-R, they used to have a different menu. More sourdough bread sandwiches, and ham combinations, I believe. I think they still don’t have the exact menu.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@pulykamell

There’s a whole list here under “Roster of Named Franchisees.” I actually never made the connection between Shoney’s and Big Boy.

Yoda’s Big Boy? Really? I did not know that.

QtM, enjoyer of the “Brawny Lad” burger at Marc’s Big Boy long long ago.

[silenus]

@Eddie_F

One thing that is unique about the Frisch’s Big Boy franchise - or so I’ve been told - is that they use their own brand of tartar sauce (quite simply, the Condiment of the Gods, which can be purchased by the jarful at the restaurants and in all supermarkets in the region) to slather their Big Boys and Super Big Boys with. I think at all other locations, including the original Bob’s, they use the same thousand island-ish sauce that McDonald’s uses.

(Behold, in all its glory: http://www.cincy2u.com/files/2241887/uploaded/2%20Frischs%2016oz.JPG)

Available on Amazon, too!

[DCnDC]

What I don’t get about Checker’s is the double drive-thru. I mean, I get it, but it seems inefficient to have a dedicated passenger-side drive-thru lane rather than 2 driver-side lanes. Frankly I’ve rarely, if ever, seen anyone in the passenger-side lane.

[Chronos]

How would you set up a second driver-side lane? You have one on each side of the building.

[DCnDC]

They already have two lanes, just reverse the direction of one of them and move the menu/microphone board (aerial view).