The Landmark

     Have any of you current or former Fairfaxers ever had this conversation with a new acquaintance?

     THEM:   Where do you live?

      YOU:      Fairfax.

      THEM:   Where is that?

      YOU:      About eight miles east of Downtown Cincinnati by way of Columbia Parkway.

      THEM:   [Blank stare]

       YOU:      Do you know where Frisch’s Mainliner is?

       THEM:   Yeah! You mean in muh-REE-mont?

       YOU:      Actually, Frisch’s Mainliner is in Fairfax, not MEH-ree-mont.

     Most towns have at least one landmark. Some have buildings that are historically or architecturally significant. Others have statues or water towers or picturesque town squares. In Fairfax, we have Frisch’s Mainliner. People who may have never heard of Fairfax still know Frisch’s Mainliner.

    David Frisch was born May 3, 1902 in Cincinnati to Samuel and Blanch Frisch, Russian immigrants. Dave’s mother passed away before he reached the age of five. Samuel Frisch was a cook and operated a lunch stand as early as 1889. The family lived in Over the Rhine and the West End. In 1910, Samuel moved his family to Norwood and in 1915, Samuel opened Frisch’s Stag Lunch on Montgomery Road. Dave Frisch grew up helping in his father’s restaurant.

     Samuel Frisch died in 1923 and Dave and his brothers Reuben and Irving took over operation of their father’s restaurant. In 1935, Dave sold his share in the restaurant and he and his wife, Annette, went out on their own. The couple opened restaurants in Norwood and Oakley, but they were unsuccessful and went bankrupt.

     In 1939, Ohio Gravel Company president Fred Cornuelle built a restaurant for Dave Frisch and leased it to him. Frisch’s Mainliner was the first year-round drive-in restaurant in the area. Years later, Frisch said that Cornuelle believed in him when nearly everyone else tried to convince him that another restaurant was a bad idea. However, this venture was a success. In 1944, Cornuelle helped Frisch open his second restaurant on Reading Road called the Mt. Vernon, because the architecture resembled George Washington's home.

     Frisch’s Mainliner was named after United Airlines’ Mainliner passenger plane that flew out of nearby Lunken Airport.

 

The Mainliner passenger plane

TheHenryFord.org

Thanksgiving ad

Cincinnati Post, November 25, 1942

    Here in Cincinnati, we have some iconic foods – goetta, Cincinnati chili, Graeter’s ice cream, Golden Hands doughnuts. (OK, the last one was a shameless plug for a Fairfax business, but they are delicious!) 1946 was the year that another Cincinnati classic was born – the Frisch’s Big Boy.

      Dave Frisch attended a food industry convention and sampled a double-decker cheeseburger created by Bob Wian of Glendale, California, proprietor of Bob’s Big Boy. Frisch not only enjoyed the burger, but saw the advantage to using two thinner patties that could be grilled and served faster. Wian made a deal with Frisch to be the Big Boy franchiser in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida. 

David Frisch

Frischs.com

    The first Frisch’s Big Boy sandwich was made in 1946 by John Pringle. The Frisch’s Big Boy differed from Bob’s Big Boy, which used Thousand Island dressing and was served on a sesame seed bun. Frisch’s used a plain white bun, Dave Frisch’s special homemade tartar sauce, and added pickles. John Pringle had worked with Dave Frisch since 1935 at his Norwood restaurant, and was the head cook at Frisch’s Mainliner when it launched. He worked full-time at the Mainliner until 1983 and then part-time until 1988.

John Pringle, Cincinnati Enquirer,

April 28, 1998

    Not only was the Big Boy sandwich not created here, the Big Boy mascot was created for Bob’s Big Boy. Like the sandwich, there were differences between the east coast and west coast mascots. Also, the appearance of our east coast Big Boy has evolved over the years. 

The Messenger, May 17, 1946

    The original Frisch’s Mainliner building was closer to Meadowlark Lane than the current building. Here are some great photos of the original restaurant in 1947 from the Kenton County Library (kentonlibrary.org).

If you zoom in on the left side of this photo, you can see a small 

structure and sign advertising the Audubon Park subdivision.

    The same year that these pictures were taken, a World War II veteran and University of Cincinnati engineering student, Jack Maier, began working as a part-time carhop at the Mainliner. In 1948, he married the boss’s daughter, Blanche Frisch. Jack Maier spent the remainder of his career with Frisch’s.

     In May 1955, Dave Frisch bought the Mainliner building from Fred Cornuelle and the surrounding property from Bernice Cornuelle. At that time, the Mainliner restaurant seated 48. Frisch had plans to build a restaurant that could seat 150. The surrounding property would provide parking for 142 cars.

     The new Mainliner opened in June 1956, next to the original restaurant. The Cincinnati Post described the new restaurant as having an "atmosphere of plush modernity, carpeted floors, handsome cypress paneling, striking chandeliers and color scheme, comfortable sofas, tables and chairs and pretty dining room hostesses." The color scheme was blue, tan, and orange. There was an 88-seat dining room and a 125-seat party room in the basement. You could get a choice sirloin dinner for $1.75. Other dinners on the menu included fried chicken, roast beef, baby beef liver, chicken giblets and noodles, and seafood.

     The party room was named the Cornuelle Banquet Room in honor of Fred Cornuelle. Over the next several years, the Cornuelle Room was a busy place, hosting meetings, luncheons, recitals, dinner dances, and even wedding receptions.

     Jack Maier, now a vice president of the company, said of his father-in-law, “Dave always wanted a place like this. His Mainliner is where his heart is and here is where he camps. It was built as a monument to the restaurant business and to the Big Boy."

The new Frisch's Mainliner

The Chieftain, Mariemont High School, 1959

    A drive-in restaurant, of course, allows customers to order, pay, and eat in their cars. Food is delivered to the cars by carhops. In October 1957, Frisch’s enlisted the Vogue Modeling Studio to conduct a charm course for its waitresses and carhops. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that "The gals were told how to walk (from the hips, not from the knees), how to dress (don't try to make your uniform something special with big earrings and dangly bracelets), and how to apply makeup. . . ." They also taught the ladies some helpful exercises. One carhop said, "It all makes sense, I suppose, but what good does it do to make yourself up to be beautiful when you have to go right out into the rain and snow?"

Cincinnati Enquirer, October 16, 1957

Cincinnati Enquirer, October 16, 1957

(The lady in the front giving the side-eye is me in every single 

work training session I ever attended.)

The Chieftain, Mariemont High School, 1958

    Other than food, Frisch’s Mainliner was known for cruising; you know, teenagers and young adults looking to socialize a bit, maybe with a little romance in mind. It was the place to be for the high school crowd. I can only imagine the lame pick-up lines those poor carhops had to endure.

My guess is that these kids were too young to drive-in and too cheap to eat at a 

table indoors and tip their server.

The Chieftain, Mariemont High School, 1963

These guys were cruising . . . with a police cruiser.

The Chieftain, Mariemont High School, 1963

    Cruising wasn’t fun for everyone, though. In May 1967, 20 Fairfax residents attended the village council meeting to complain about the “teenage rowdyism” in the Frisch’s Mainliner parking lot. They complained about kids driving “aimlessly” around the restaurant and drinking beer and throwing cans at houses. Residents were assured that the police would increase patrols on nights and weekends to monitor activity.

    By 1961, there were over 150 Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants. With his success, Dave Frisch became involved in philanthropic ventures. In 1963, for example, he was named Humanitarian of the Year by City of Hope and chaired the Christmas Seals campaign. 

Dave Frisch as Christmas Seals chairman, 1963

Cincinnati Enquirer, July 17, 2022

    In 1964, the Mainliner seemed to have an increased focus on international cuisine, possibly due to competition from the new The George and Dragon fine dining establishment opening across the street. (My go-to order is from Frisch’s current international cuisine – a Swiss Miss and French Fries.)

Cincinnati Enquirer, January 11, 1964

Just a couple of your typical Mariemont High School students, no 

doubt arranging a romantic international dinner at the Mainliner.

The Chieftain, Mariemont High School, 1965

    The Mainliner wasn’t just the center of the cruising scene, but a place for dates and youthful celebrations. For example, say you’re a Cincinnati kid who won the Heisman Trophy and signed a “multi-thousand” dollar contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Where are you, your girl, and your friends going to celebrate? Well, future NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach went to Frisch’s Mainliner and enjoyed dinner in his car.

     In 1966, a petite young woman, Eva McGowan, began working at the Mainliner. Her new coworkers told her she wouldn’t remain thin for long, being surrounded by food, but she managed to stay slender, crediting her active lifestyle. Through her 50-plus years at the Mainliner, she mostly worked at the carryout counter and drive-through. When Miss Eva handled your carryout order, you could be nearly certain that the order would be correct. I appreciated that in the later years she always asked me how my mom, “Mrs. Davis,” was doing.

     David Frisch passed away in 1970. At the time of his death, there were 170 Frisch’s Big Boy franchises, 40 of which were owned by Frisch’s Restaurants, Inc. Despite his success, he had never forgotten where he started and through the years sometimes stopped in to the Mainliner during the lunch rush and bussed tables. He said this was how he gauged what his customers wanted. Frisch’s son-in-law Jack Maier became president and chairman of the company.

Annette and David Frisch, Blanche and Jack Maier

moversmakers.org

    During the 1970s, the popularity of the Mainliner as a teenage hotspot slackened. By the time I started high school in the late 1970s, it just wasn’t a thing. I haven’t determined an exact date, but carhop service also ended around that time. The last employment ad I found for car attendants at the Mainliner was in November 1979.

    In early 1978, the Mainliner closed for a month for a renovation.

Eastern Hills Journal, March 1, 1978

    The business continued to evolve. In 1979, the restaurant stayed open until 1:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Eastern Hills Journal reported, "The dinner listings keep changing, but there's always an abundance of entrees from which to select plus little 'extras' like cooked rhubarb you just don't discover in many restaurants. You're liable to find tasty tidbits like Irish stew, grilled baby beef liver, and fried Icelandic fish, to mention just a few."

Eastern Hills Journal, August 1, 1979

    In 1988, Frisch’s announced that the current Mainliner restaurant would be replaced by a new 165-seat facility with a breakfast and salad bar. The new building was built adjacent to the old building, which was razed when the new construction was completed.

The second Frisch's Mainliner building was torn down in August 1988.

From the Eastern Hills Journal, August 31, 1988

     Jack Maier retired in 1989 and was replaced as president and CEO by his son, Craig. Jack Maier remained chairman of the board until his death in 2005.

     Annette Frisch, Dave’s partner in matrimony and business, passed away in 1995.

     In 2013, Frisch’s made one of the most controversial business decisions in its history, replacing Coca-Cola products with Pepsi and Dr. Pepper products. In May 2015, Frisch’s Restaurants, Inc. was sold to a private equity firm. Many patrons had their fingers crossed that this would mean the return of Coke products. In July 2018, Coke products returned to the menu with much fanfare. The first Coke was poured at the Mainliner by Cincinnati Reds’ catcher Tucker Barnhart.

     In 2018, the Mainliner was remodeled, featuring the new Frisch’s corporate museum. Eva McGowan was on hand, along with Frisch’s CEO Jason Vaughn, retired Frisch’s executive and ambassador Dick Mallon, Rosie Red, and Big Boy.

Cincinnati Enquirer, April 15, 2018

    Frisch’s celebrated its 75^th anniversary (since its 1947 incorporation) at the Mainliner in August 2022. There was an appearance by world-renowned competitive eater Joey Chestnut, who signed autographs and consumed copious amounts of hot fudge cake. There were free Nathan’s hot dogs and a classic car show. Mr. Chestnut returned in November of that year to tackle Frisch’s famous pumpkin pie. In the summer of 2023, the Mainliner even hosted a qualifier competition for the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. Although competitive eating sort of makes my stomach turn, I’m pleased that Frisch’s recognizes that the Mainliner is the perfect venue for these events and celebrates that this is where it all began.

The packed Frisch's Mainliner parking lot on the day of

Joey Chestnut's visit in August 2022.

    Like many of you, I have decades of memories of the Mainliner. I remember the thrill as a little kid of eating dinner in the car with my family and being served by a carhop wearing the coolest mechanism I had ever seen (or heard), a change maker. I recall walking to the old carryout, which was separate from the dining room, to pick up my order from Norma or Eva, and grab a Big Boy comic book. I still eat lunch at the Mainliner about once a week and I always feel a little special when the servers know my drink order.

     James Walker was named CEO of Frisch’s Big Boy in 2022. Upon joining the company he said, “Fewer and fewer restaurant brands today have the kind of legacy that Frisch’s Big Boy has. The people of Cincinnati and surrounding areas have an emotional connection to the brand . . . . I couldn’t be more excited about joining an incredible team that understands that connection. . . ." That legacy began right here at the corner of Wooster Pike and Meadowlark Lane in Fairfax.