Why Is Lansing’s Bob’s Big Boy Still Not Open Yet

Alright, you've wondered, so have I: What is going on with the yet-to-be-opened Bob's Big Boy on Pennsylvania Avenue? You can only have an "Opening Soon" sign for so long before people start to question your definition of "Soon."

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I love Big Boy. My teen years were spent waiting tables at the Brooklyn Big Boy, and I have spent many an hour in booth #4 conversing, sipping strong coffee, and enjoying a Slim Jim ever since. So, you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when I read in the City Pulse that Zeus's Coney Island would be getting a new life as a Bob's Big Boy. That article was written...in 2023.

When / Will Lansing's Bob's Big Boy Open

Once again, according to the now sun-bleached sign on the front window, Bob's Big Boy will be opening "Soon." Obviously, we are over two years deep into "Soon," so the matter needed further investigation.

My first and most obvious step was to contact Big Boy corporate, located in Southfield, Michigan. Unfortunately, none of my inquiries resulted in an answer. I even reached out to the Vice President of Operations, Frank Alessandrini, who spoke with the Lansing State Journal in 2023, but as of publication, I've yet to get an update.

Lansing's Bob's Big Boy Rumor Mill

If you can't get answers from the source, turn to the neighbors, and that's exactly what I did. Popping into a couple of the grand opening-less neighbors, I asked if they'd heard why the new restaurant hadn't opened. Some speculated that the ownership had suffered a personal hardship, while others wondered if it was a capital issue. Regardless, rumors are just that, rumors.

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I took a peek into the windows of the unopened location, and there's still a lot of construction material in the dining area. One glimmer of hope comes from Alessandrini's LinkedIn posting late last year stating that they were hiring in Lansing. Zip Recruiter also lists positions available at Lansing's Bob's Big Boy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it opens soon, and if I hear anything, I'll post it here.