Another familiar name in Ohio dining has disappeared — and this time, it’s Dolly’s Burgers & Shakes. Its parent company, Big Boy Restaurant Group, announced that all six Dolly’s locations in Southwest Ohio have permanently closed, ending the short-lived comeback effort that began earlier this year.
The sudden shutdown affects Dolly’s diners in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas, which had taken over former Frisch’s Big Boy buildings earlier in 2025. The final day of operations was October 23, leaving workers and customers stunned.
Dolly’s was launched by Big Boy Restaurant Group after a court order blocked the company from using the “Big Boy” name in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Frisch’s holds exclusive rights to the Big Boy brand in those regions, forcing Big Boy Restaurant Group to rebrand its restaurants as “Dolly’s,” named after Big Boy’s classic cartoon partner.
Despite the nostalgic concept, Dolly’s struggled to gain traction (e.g. How many people recall that Dolly was Big Boy’s girlfriend?). Customer traffic lagged, and legal restrictions prevented the company from using its well-known Big Boy identity…