The Detroit News:
Big Boy Restaurants International LLC, a doyen of the milkshake and double-decker burger meal, is battling to survive as the economy ravages family dining establishments.
The Warren-based chain of restaurants famous for its rotund, burger-bearing mascot in red-and-white-checked overalls turns 75 this year, keeping pace with the age of its core demographic: seniors who enjoy lingering mornings over an inexpensive plate of eggs and hash browns.
But Big Boy executives say they must reach out to families with children to cultivate the next generation of customers.
As part of that effort, Big Boy this summer launched a pilot program to refresh its menu and décor at a Clinton Township restaurant — providing promising early results that it hopes can be adopted throughout the chain.