Beloved Ohio burger chain vanishes overnight — all locations now closed

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.

The company said it hopes to return to the region someday — but only after the legal dispute is resolved. They’d hope to use the Big Boy name.

Meanwhile, Frisch’s Big Boy confirmed that its own Ohio restaurants remain open, with around 20 locations still operating statewide.

For now, Dolly’s fans will have to say goodbye to the short-lived burger chain that hoped to revive a piece of diner nostalgia — but instead vanished almost as quickly as it arrived.

We don’t think this is the end of the story given the awkward relationship of Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch’s Big Boy caused by them being the last two remaining sharers of the Big Boy name and franchise.

Seems like a merger or acquisition would be a wise move if the companies could come together and let bygones be bygones.

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