History, nostalgia run deep at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank
Eddie Kelly talks about his recently hung portrait and how much he likes being on the wall at Bob’s Big Boy on Thursday, March 10, 2016. The manager of the Burbank restaurant recently put a photo of Kelly on the wall to highlight his teenage career on American Bandstand.
There are hundreds of photos and pieces of memorabilia hanging on the walls of Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank.
The restaurant, which opened in 1949 and is listed as a California Point of Historical Interest, has headshots of James Dean, Errol Flynn and Dorothy Barrett gracing the archway over the waiting area and stills from the movie “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” greeting customers as they enter.
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Tucked away in an unassuming corner near the front of the diner hangs the establishment’s newest piece: a pair of headshots of Eddie Kelly, a former regular dancer on the TV music show “American Bandstand.”
The photo on the left is of Kelly when he was a teen from Philadelphia, Pa., in 1959. On the right is a photo taken of him in 2010. Below the more current picture are the words “Still Dancin.’”
“Well, that was a mistake,” Kelly said, jokingly.
The manager of the restaurant recently put a photo of Eddie Kelly on the wall of Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank to highlight his teenage career on American Bandstand.
Kelly, 72, who moved to Burbank from the East Coast two years ago, is now a regular at Bob’s Big Boy, sometimes eating each meal of the day at the diner. He noticed the 1950s to 1960s theme in the restaurant and figured that it would be appropriate to have his headshot hung up because of his well-known status during that era.
“When I look around, I’m probably one the remaining live ones,” Kelly said of his photo hung next to all of the celebrities. “But I’ll tell you what, the fact that I was recognized and worthy to be put up there was really nice of them. I’m proud of it and proud of being a part of rock ‘n’ roll history.”
Bob’s Big Boy’s celebrity history runs deeper than just headshots of actors. Director David Lynch is known for setting up shop in the diner while writing a screenplay. Bob Hope would sit at his usual table, where he would eat a plain Big Boy burger, a root beer and a small order of fries with his driver, said Jesus Franco, the diner’s marketing manager.
However, the restaurant’s biggest attraction is a corner booth by a window where the Beatles reportedly sat in during the 1960s. A plaque commemorating the big moment hangs on a wall near the booth, Franco said.
“There’s no evidence, but I know it’s true because of the stories I’ve heard from the people that worked here before,” he said, noting that customers from around the world have waited hours to sit in the booth.
Franco, who has worked at the diner for about 20 years, said people come in not just for the food, but also for a dose of nostalgia. He said customers would recognize a loved one from an old photo of the Burbank Police Department or start dancing and singing when they heard a 1950s rock song play over the speakers.
“It brings back a lot of memories,” Franco said. “It’s important to keep this theme at this restaurant. There are other Big Boys, but people prefer to drive an extra mile just to be here.”
For Kelly, the local restaurant holds a special place in his heart.
“It’s like home to me,” he said. “It’s the atmosphere and the music they play. It takes me back to when I was a teenager.”
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anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
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