CINCINNATI (AP) – Big Boy isn’t hoisting his signature double-decker sandwich, and his formerly chubby cheeks are tighter. The remake of its iconic mascot is meant to signal changes underway at Frisch’s Restaurants Inc. The new leadership of the regional chain bought last year from family ownership is adding to the menu, revamping stores to make them brighter and more inviting and experimenting with things such as “brupper.” That’s a breakfast buffet at supper time. Atlanta-based NRD Capital’s $175 million acquisition last August ended family operation of the Cincinnati-based regional business dating to a 1939 drive-thru that has the Big Boy trademark rights in Ohio and nearby states. CEO Jason Vaughn explains in an AP interview that the changes are being made carefully, with plenty of consumer research and customer feedback.
