How we took a closer look at Frisch's Big Boy

Frisch’s Big Boy may no longer be a locally-owned, but locals still feel it’s theirs.

I'm not a Cincinnati native , but I have lived here more than two decades and my family likes breakfast at the Delhi Township Frisch's once in a while. My colleague, food writer Keith Pandolfi , who co-wrote the story with me, informs me he grew up in Anderson Township and "the Beechmont Ave. Frisch's was our (family's) jam."

When the chain of diners, now controlled by an Atlanta investment firm , announced another round of five restaurants would shutter this spring, it seemed like the closures were adding up. A check of their listed locations indicated nearly a third have disappeared since the takeover in 2015 .

So Keith and I reached out to the company to ask them about Frisch’s direction and how it’s been navigating a rocky landscape for restaurants nationally that was pummeled by the COVID-19 pandemic, a tight labor market and both food and wage inflation.

Besides speaking with the new Frisch’s CEO , we interviewed industry experts who noted diners like Big Boy nationally have struggled to grow as the restaurant sector continues to evolve and grow more competitive. Some noted the pandemic made long-running problems worse for many once-beloved brand names in the family-dining segment (recently bankrupt Red Lobster came up a few times).

Meanwhile, many Frisch’s fans here in Cincinnati bemoaned declines in quality and service since the ownership change, while some defended the hometown favorite, saying it still provided quality food amid industry struggles.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How we took a closer look at Frisch's Big Boy