Bob Evans was an American restaurant chain founded in 1948 by Bob Evans. It is headquartered in New Columbus, Ohio. As of 2018, the chain has 627 locations in 31 states.
In addition to dine-in and carry-out meals at its restaurants, Bob Evans provides a variety of packaged foods through grocery stores and other retailers. The Bob Evans brand also offers crumbles, sausage, and other breakfast items through partnerships with companies such as Kroger, Kellogg’s, and Jimmy Dean. Click here to know about Johnson City.
The company was founded in 1948 by Bob Evans (1918-2007) when he started a 12-stool diner along U.S. Route 40 near Bowersville, Ohio. Evans began a sausage-making operation in 1953 and started selling the sausage in his diner and to local grocery stores. In 1963, the Bob Evans Sausage Company was incorporated as a separate entity.
In 1986, the publicly traded Bob Evans Farms Inc. was formed as the holding company for Bob Evans Farms restaurants and the sausage business. In 1995, Bob Evans sold the sausage company to John Morrell & Company (now Smithfield Foods).
In 1998, Bob Evans Farms Inc. spun off its restaurant division as a separate publicly traded company, Bob Evans Restaurants Inc. The two companies are now independently operated. Click here to read more.
Bob Evans died on June 21, 2007, at the age of 89. His son, Steve Evans, took over as CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc. in 2004 and as chairman in 2006. Steve Evans died on January 11, 2018. The current CEO is Saed Mohseni.