THIS IS THE BOB'S BIG BOY ON COLORADO BLVD. IN EAGLE ROCK IN THE 1950'S AND A SIMILAR DESIGN TO THE ONE IN PASADENA LOCATED AT 1616 EAST COLORADO WHERE THE PCC SHATFORD LIBRARY NOW STANDS, THE SW CORNER OF BONNIE AND COLORADO
BOB'S BIG BOY AT 77 NORTH LAKE AVENUE, IN EXISTENCE FROM LATE 196? TO 198?, NOW COCO'S RESTAURANT
THIS IS BOB'S BIG BOY RESTAURANT IN RANCH STYLE WHICH WAS OWNED MY MARRIOT AFTER THE CHAIN WAS SOLD BY THE CREATOR BOB WIAN IN 1967, AND MARRIOT CONVERTED MANY LOCATIONS LATER TO COCO'S, WHICH THIS LOCATION IS TODAY Bob's Big Boy restaurant is coming back to Pasadena as of November 2009! This is hard to believe after so long an absence, but considering there were four locations in Pasadena and Eagle Rock, not operating necessarily all at the same time, maybe it's not suprising that Bob is coming back.
The same owner of the famous Toluca Lake landmark location just happens to own the Baja Fresh on Del Mar just east of South Lake Avenue. Baja Fresh is now closed and there is a banner hanging outside with the Big Boy saying he's coming back! For those of us old enough to have known Bob's during its heyday, this is a welcome situation, especially for Lake Avenue.
Bob's had a number of locations in Pasadena. The first was located at 1616 East Colorado Blvd., built in 1953 and designed by architect S. David Underwood. This was located on the SW corner of Bonnie and Colorado, however the property has been taken over by Pasadena City College, after being eventually surrounded by the campus, and the restaurant was about where the Shatford Library now stands. This Bob's location had become a Greek restaurant after Bob's had moved into their new abode at 77 North Lake Avenue in the late 1960's, and the 1953 Googie style building was demolished without further adieu prior to the building of the new library in the 1990's, much to the regret of the space age architectural aficionados who also love the Saga Motor Hotel across the street which still stands.
A concurrent location in the 1950's through the 1980's? was located at 3130 East Colorado, across the street from Fedco now Target on the SW corner of Northrup and Colorado. This location was demolished in 1982. Also, in the 1950's probably through the 1970's? the Bob's location at 1803 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock, the historic photo at the top of this entry, was in operation, with a miniature golf course located on the property just west of its parking lot. The things we used to have!
Well, I hope there are a few others of you out there with fond memories of Bob's Big Boy, also in Pasadena, and hope you are excited to maybe even have Car Nights on the weekends behind the new location in the parking lot on South Lake Avenue. We can hope for some more good memories on our own "Avenue to the Sky!" It's great when it's not all past tense, as memories go!
