Latest news with #BalboaIslandMuseum
Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
The Crowd: Exhibit recalls when Bob's was big on Balboa Island's Marine Avenue
The main gallery of Balboa Island Museum welcomed the community to an opening reception viewing the local history of the 'Bob's… Home of the Big Boy' eatery present on Balboa Island and serving enthusiastic crowds in mid-century America. Lines of locals and tourists alike stepped up to the street-front counter to order their prized Bob's burger and an 'extra thick' shake. Add hot fries (perhaps with blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping purposes) and it was the ideal treat for strolling Marine Avenue and then finding a bench or cement wall on the bayfront to take in the view and share burgers. All of those memories come rushing back as museum curator and executive director of Balboa Island Museum, Tiffany Pepys Hoey, collected and assembled a photo display along with narration on the history of the fast-food business on Balboa Island before all the big chains such as McDonald's became American fast-food phenomena. Bob's, (originally called Bob's Pantry) founded by Bob Wian and his team in 1936, first opened in Glendale. It was built by Bob Peterson (father of Balboa Island local Judy Tucker); the business eventually expanded to more than 240 locations. The Wian family lived in the Los Angeles area and also had a beach home in Newport and loved life on Balboa Island. Bob's was located in the orange-colored building in the 300 block of Marine Avenue in the 1960s. Bob Wian was often in the Island store greeting visiting customers and neighbors alike. The business was sold in 1967 to Marriott Corporation. Today, four Bob's locations still serve customers in Southern California: Burbank, Downey, Norco and Northridge. Credited with creating the three-decker hamburger, Wian's sandwich quickly became a hit, but it had yet to be named. According to restaurant lore, a chubby 6-year-old named Richard Woodruff had been doing chores at Bob's Pantry in exchange for free burgers. When Wian called him 'Big Boy,' the name stuck, and the rest is hamburger history. Another regular customer, Ben Washam, a movie studio animator for Warner Bros., sketched the now famous character on a napkin. The Big Boy burger craze that ensued prompted Bob Wian to change the diner's name to Bob's Big Boy and to introduce the now-iconic Big Boy mascot. Among the special items on display in the museum gallery is an original statue of 'Bob' on loan to the museum from a local collector on Balboa Island. Balboa Island Museum staff produced a lively hamburger-themed open house as museum members and guests poured in for the recent mid-week opening catered by museum board member Cynthia Shafer, talented restaurateur and proprietor of the Royal Hen on the Island. Burgers, fries, and ice cream treats delighted the crowd sharing memories. Checking out the photographic and memorabilia display in the main Gallery were Museum chief executive Shirley Pepys, John Conners, president of the museum board and his wife, Diana; Sue Sibley, Renee Pepys Lowe and Christine Tillet. Also there were John Scudder, Jim and Erin Moloney, Andrea and Tom McElroy, Bob and Kim Miller and Jack Callahan. The exhibit will run through June and into July, open free to the public daily. For more information, visit
Los Angeles Times
14-02-2025
- Los Angeles Times
The Crowd: Balboa Island Museum plans exhibit, book club and ‘Sunday Suppers'
If you traveled through Terminal C at John Wayne Orange County Airport anytime between September and the end of January, you likely viewed an impressive photographic exhibit of Orange County history displayed along the 80-foot Destination Gallery. Curated by Tiffany Pepys Hoey, executive director of the Balboa Island Museum Newport Beach, in association with airport curator Heather Bowling and staff, the project illustrated regional subjects of historical interest including iconic Marine Avenue on Balboa Island, 100 years of California beach life dating from the late 1900s to the dawn of the 21st century, surfing and sailing legacies, the annual Newport Beach Boat Parade, the Boy Scout Jamboree, the story of AIR CAL, memories of Lion Country Safari, and the important impact of the Irvine Ranch. This month, the entire exhibit is being removed from the airport and reinstalled on the walls of the Newport Beach Central Library commencing free public viewing in March. The public is welcome to explore the handsomely framed photographs accompanied by narrative description, an ideal journey through decades of life on the coast. The exhibit is appropriate for kids of all ages and their parents and grandparents. Entertainment, education and inspiration for the entire family are the goals of the Balboa Island Museum. Programs for all ages are produced year-round. Coming up this spring, a new monthly book club event held at the museum will debut on March 13, featuring journalist/columnist/ and social media influencer Greer Wylder presenting her new book recently published by Archway/ Simon and Schuster titled 'Born in OC: The Artists, Entrepreneurs, and Visionaries of Orange County, California.' On Feb. 23, celebrity restaurateur Ron Salisbury, member of the founding family of El Cholo Restaurants, will generously host a 'Sunday Supper' dinner in the Balboa Island Museum for members and guests to raise funds in support of museum programs and exhibits. Additional 'Sunday Suppers' throughout the year will feature special guest hosts bringing unique dining experiences and conversation to the museum crowd. As the respected chronicler of local history, Balboa Island Museum enters its 25th year serving visitors free of charge, seven days a week at 210 Marine Ave., Balboa Island. Annual membership remains at $50, and entitles card holders to a world of fun, education, imagination and community relationships spanning generations. Please visit or simply stop by the museum to take a tour and sign up to join the museum family. Their doors are open, with arms wide open as well, to welcome all.
