Bob Evans

Bob Evans, the man, was unique as was the founding of the restaurant that bears his name. You see, he already had a successful restaurant, the Bob Evans Steak House in Gallipolis, Ohio which he opened 16 years before the first restaurant that we know today. One of the menu items sold at the steakhouse was sausage. The problem was that Bob couldn’t find any that was up to his higher standards, so he decided to make his own (after all he already had the farm in Rio Grande, Ohio). He was so successful in making it that customers began buying it in bulk to take home. He even started bringing grocery store managers to his farm to show them how he did it. Later in 1953, some friends and family joined him and bought a plant that came up for sale to begin distributing it on a larger scale. The sausage became so popular; a restaurant was opened on the farm in 1962 appropriately named The Sausage Shop. A few years later in 1968, the design and menu focus changed as well as the name and the first restaurant as we know it today was born.

General Restaurant Information

Food Type: Family Style

Restaurant Type: Family Dining

U.S. Locations: 527

States: 24 states, Bob Evans Locations

Company Slogan: Down on the Farm

 

Contact Information

Website: bobevans.com

Questions: Contact Information

Phone number: 866-616-6464

Email: BobEvans_CustomerSupport@bobevans.com

Blog: Bob Evans Blog

FAQ Page: No

 

Ownership

Who Owns Bob Evans? Golden Gate Capital

Headquartered: New Albany, OH

Contact Information: 

Website: Golden Gate Capital

Email/contact page: Golden Gate Contact Information

Phone: 415-983-2700

Address: One Embarcadero Center, 39th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111

Do They Franchise? No reference found

 

What Is It Like To Work At Bob Evans?

Bob Evans Employment Page

3.5/5 or 70%; 2,800 Reviews (indeed.com)

3.2/5, or 64%; 1,100 Reviews (glassdoor.com)

What to expect when working at Bob Evans (job-applications.com)

 

The History of Bob Evans

Original Location: 10854 OH-588 (as The Sausage Shop), Rio Grande, Ohio

Founded: 1962

Founded By: Bob Evans

Biography Articles:

Bob Evans (wikipedia.org)

Bob Evans (anb.org)

Bob Evans (britannica.com)

Bob Evans (ohiohistorycentral.org)

Founder Obituary: Still Living

Obituaries:

Bob Evans Obituary (legacy.com)

Funeral and Burial Today for Restaurant Founder Bob Evans (wtol.com)

Bob Evans Founder Dies at 89 (washingtonpost.com)

Bob Evans, 89, Restaurateur With Chain Built on Sausage, Dies (nytimes.com)

Bob Evans, Find a Grave (findagrave.com)

Name Origin: The restaurant bears the same name as the founder.

Company History Page: Company History Page

Current View of Original Location: 10854 OH-588 as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)

Historical Articles: 

Bob Evans Farms, Inc. History (fundinguniverse.com)

Bob Evans Restaurants (ohiocentral.org)

 

Social Awareness

Charity Focus: Community, Medical Needs Organizations & Veterans

Green | Eco-Friendly: Environmental Sustainability (bobevans.com)

Animal Cruelty: 

Animal Well Being (bobevans.com)

Bob Evans Switching to Cage-Free Eggs by 2025 (wattagnet.com)

Bob Evans Commits to 100% Cage Free Eggs by 2025; Gestation crate-free pork by 2025 (cagefreefuture.com)

 

Discounts At Bob Evans

Rewards Program: Bob Evans does not offer a rewards program at this time

Do Kids Eat Free at Bob Evans?

What day do kids eat free? Tuesday

Summary: Multiple sources state that kids eat free on Tuesdays at Bob Evans. 

“One free kid’s meal with each adult entree (after 4 pm)” (pennypinchinmom.com)

“Kids eat free with adult purchase from 4-9pm” (thekrazycouponlady.com)

“Kids eat free on Tuesdays after 4 p.m. with the purchase of an adult meal” (bradsdeals.com)

Does Bob Evans Offer Military Discounts?

Summary: Based on external sources, Bob Evans does offer military (Veteran) discounts –

“Veterans and active military personnel receive a free meal from a select menu on November 11” (military.com)

“Bob Evans Restaurants are offering free select menu items to Veterans and Active Duty Military on Veterans Day, Sat., Nov. 11.” (militarybenefits.info)

“Veterans and active military personnel receive a free meal from a select menu on November 11”

“Free select breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. For active duty military, retirees, and veterans with ID or proof of service.” (themilitarywallet.com)

What Does Bob Evans offer for My Birthday!?

Summary: Although no references could be found related to birthdays for adults at Bob Evans, some external sources state that they do offer a free kids meal.

“Free kid’s meal, as well as free breakfast meals throughout the year” (urbantastebud.com)

“Free kids meal on their birthday w/ purchase of a regular adult entrée” (hustlermoneyblog.com)

Does the chain Offer First Responder Discounts?

Summary: No resources found.

Does Bob Evans Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?

Summary: They currenly offfer senior citizen discounts for those 55 and older. 

“Senior menu has reduced prices. (55+)” (after55.com)

“Senior Menu for those 55 and older.” (wisebread.com)

“55+, Senior menu with smaller portions/discounted price.” (thebalanceeveryday.com)

Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits at Bob Evans?

Summary: The chain has an email club (currently at the bottom of their home page) where they state “Be first to know about delicious deals & new meals.” when you sign-up.

 

Amenities

Order Online: No

WiFi Available: Yes

Use Apple Pay: No  

Reservations: Some 

Catering: Bob Evans Catering 

Drive-Thru: No 

Open 24 Hours: No  

 

Customer Reviews of Bob Evans

Yelp: 2.80/5 or 56%, 551 reviews sampled

Tripadvisor: 3.80/5 or 75%, 2,320 reviews sampled

Overall Average: 3.58/5 or 72%, 2,871 reviews sampled

 

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Food & Nutrition

Menu:  Bob Evans Menu

Kids Menu:  Bob Evans Kids Menu

Secret Menu:  No references found

Most Popular Menu Item:  Dinner – Slow Roasted Turkey & Dressing or Pot Roast. Breakfast – Farmer’s Choice

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Do they Serve Alcohol: No

Nutritional Information: Bob Evans Nutrition Guide

Vegetarian | Vegan Options: Vegan Options at Bob Evans (veganfoodlover.com)

Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found.

Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources: 

The 50 Unhealthiest Meals of 2017 (#2) (eatthis.com)

Bob Evans Menu (healthydiningfinder.com)

Nutritional Information (fatsecret.com)

Nutrition Facts and Calorie Information (nutrition-charts.com)

Allergy Information

Allergen Information: Allergen Guide

Gluten Free Options: Gluten Free Menu (urbantastebud.com)

Dairy Free Options: 

Dairy Free Options (godairyfree.org)

Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)

Peanut Free Options: 

Peanut & Allergy Information (bobevans.com)

Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)

Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)

 

Does Bob Evans Have Any Secret Recipes?

Secret Recipes:  

Banana Nut Bread Loaf (topsecretrecipes.com)

Sausage Gravy (geniuskitchen.com) (myrecipes.com)

Sausage Cups (geniuskitchen.com)

Cobb Salad (geniuskitchen.com)

Chicken & Noodles (tastesoflizzyt.com)

Bob Evans Recipes (allrestaurantrecipes.com) (tasteofhome.com)

 

 

Did You Know?

Fun Facts: 

Breakfast accounts for 40% of sales at the restaurant (nrn.com)

A long way from the small 12 stool original restaurant, the chain was purchased in 2017 to Golden Gate Capital for $565 million. Golden Gate also acquired Red Lobster in 2014 for $2.1 billion.  The private equity firm also owns California Pizza Kitchen. (nrn.com)

Before the restaurant, Bob was changing the sausage industry one trucker at a time. Frustrated with not being able to find good sausage for his small restaurant, Evans began producing sausage on his farm. Unlike most sausage sales in the day, Evans chose to use the best parts of the pig versus the scraps that had been used to make sausage. His sausage was so popular with the truckers coming by that they spread the word growing both the demand for sausage as well as the small restaurant selling his signature sausage. (nytimes.com)

Bob was born in Sugar Ridge, Ohio and had five children when he died in 2007. (nytimes.com)

Interesting Articles:

Private-equity group buys Bob Evans Restaurants for $565M (nrn.com)

Bob Evans finds strength in breakfast (nrn.com)

 

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Bob Evans on Social Media

Followers (as of October 2018) –  

Facebook: 400,418

Twitter: 14,500

Instagram: 7,024

Mobile Apps

No mobile apps at this time

Alternatives

Food Type: Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, Denny’s, Perkins, Village Inn

Restaurant Type: Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, Denny’s, Perkins, Village Inn

 

 

In Summary

Bob Evans reminds me of the town barbershop that’s been there forever. You are either drawn to that type of establishment to get your hair cut or your not. If you are so inclined, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect when you walk in. They’ve been around a long time and aren’t looking to change to keep up with the times. I’ve always seen them as a Cracker Barrel without the gift shop and decorations of a time gone by. After all, if Cracker Barrel didn’t have those extra amenities, would you be as drawn to them? If you don’t have a local diner in your town, they might be an option for you if you’re looking for that type of meal. They do give senior discounts at the youngest age you will find, 55 and that may be because that could be their primary target market. They aren’t doing anything that draws a crowd, but at the same time, there are many less attractive options for your family.

 

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