Big Boy still holds a special place in Milwaukee’s heart. At one point, the classic burger chain and diner boasted more than 1,000 locations nationwide, and over 60 of those were Marc’s Big Boy restaurants. The Marcus Corporation-owned arm of the franchise had dozens of restaurants scattered throughout the Midwest, including a cluster of locations in and around Milwaukee.
In early 1995, after many lean years, Milwaukee’s last remaining Big Boy—located at 7926 W. Capitol Drive—closed. The last unmistakable statue of the pudgy lad with his burger hoisted to the heavens was removed from the shuttered restaurant, and Big Boy was effectively gone from the city. Though the city no longer has a Big Boy (unless you count the local imitators), the restaurant chain will reportedly make its Wisconsin return with a location scheduled to open in nearby Germantown this summer, and more to come after that.
The exciting news was revealed today by Walt Kaufmann, who runs the “Milwaukee Remembers Big Boy!” Facebook group. Kaufmann’s post reads:
“BIG BOY is officially coming back to Wisconsin later this summer! The first of numerous BIG BOY franchise locations in Wisconsin is scheduled to open up in mid to late July 2021 at the former Jerry’s Old Town Restaurant in Germantown WI. Jerry’s is in the process of being renovated to bring back many of our fond BIG BOY memories. Wisconsin BIG BOY LLC has acquired the restaurant rights of the iconic restaurant brand. They will be working closely with BIG BOY Corporation nationally… to ensure bringing back many of the great memories and menu items that we all remember. Many details will be announced in the days to come. Please check back for more information. Your thoughts are always welcome.”
As ardent Big Boy buffs, trust that we’ll be keeping a close tabs on this development. However, it appears likely that you’ll be able to get Big Boy in Wisconsin again at some point in 2021.
