Alex Schoenbaum
| Alexander Z. Schoenbaum | |
|---|---|
 Alex Schoenbaum framed by a Big Boy statue | |
| Born |
August 8, 1915 Petersburg, Virginia[1] |
| Died |
December 6, 1996 (aged 81) Sarasota, Florida |
| Monuments |
Schoenbaum Hall (Ohio State), Schoenbaum Library (University of Charleston), Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center (Charleston, WV) |
| Residence | Charleston, West Virginia; Sarasota, Florida |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University |
| Occupation | Restaurateur, entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Shoney's Restaurants |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Schoenbaum |
| Parents | |
Alex Schoenbaum (August 8, 1915 – December 6, 1996) was an American collegiate football player and businessman in the hospitality industry, eventually operating a chain of restaurants and later, motels. He is best remembered for developing the Shoney's restaurant chain in the southeastern United States, most of which were originally franchised Big Boy locations.[4]
Childhood and college football career
Schoenbaum grew up in West Virginia where as a boy he worked in his father's bowling establishments in Charleston and Huntington.
He played tackle at Ohio State University from 1936-1938.
|
Investigation of potential copyright issue | |
| If you have just labeled this page as a potential copyright issue, please follow the instructions for filing at the bottom of the box. | |
 The previous content of this page or section has been identified as posing a potential copyright issue, as a copy or modification of the text from the source(s) below, and is now listed on Wikipedia:Copyright problems (listing):
Unless the copyright status of the text on this page is clarified, the problematic text or the entire page may be deleted one week after the time of its listing. | |
| Can you help resolve this issue?
If you hold the copyright to this text, you can license it in a manner that allows its use on Wikipedia. Click "Show" to see how.
To demonstrate that this text is in the public domain, or is already under a license suitable for Wikipedia, click "Show".
Explain this on this article's discussion page, with reference to evidence. Wikipedia:Public domain and Wikipedia:Compatibly licensed may assist in determining the status. Otherwise, you may write a new article without copyright-infringing material. Click "Show" to read where and how. Your rewrite should be placed on this page, where it will be available for an administrator or clerk to review it at the end of the listing period. Follow this link to create the temporary subpage.
| |
About importing text to Wikipedia
|
Instructions for filing
If you have tagged the article for investigation, please complete the following steps:
|
Hospitality industry
Following his sporting career, Schoenbaum went on to found the Shoney's restaurant chain, a regional organization which is one of the largest businesses to have originated in West Virginia and was at onetime one of the largest family owned restaurant chains in the United States. In 1947 Schoenbaum opened his first drive-in restaurant, Parkette, in Charleston. In 1952, Schoenbaum obtained the regional marketing rights to the Big Boy trademark, two years later Parkette being renamed Shoney's. Besides being an operator, Schoenbaum also aggressively subfranchised to others, many as Shoney's and some in the 1950s using their own name.[5] In 1971, Schoenbaum and one such subfranchisee, Nashville operator Raymond L. Danner merged their companies to form Shoney's Big Boy Enterprises, Inc. When Shoney's original franchise agreement with Big Boy expired in 1976, Big Boy Enterprises was dropped from the name.[6] In the 1980s Shoney's opened two non Big Boy restaurants (called Shoney's Towne and Country) outside of its assigned Big Boy territory, leading another Big Boy franchisee to sue for trademark infringement. In 1984, Shoney's–now the largest regional franchisee–left the Big Boy system removing over a third of the American units.[7] Shoney's prevailed in the trademark suit, the final appeal adjudicated after separation from Big Boy.
Under Schoenbaum, the Shoney's organization also developed and operated the Captain D's fast food seafood chain, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken fast-food chain, now part of Mrs. Winner's and three casual dining chains, The Sailmaker, Pargo's and the Fifth Quarter Steakhouses. In 1976, the company started a lodging chain, with properties branded as "Shoney's Inn" motels. By the 1990s, the company operated over 1,000 restaurants.
Legacy
Alex Schoenbaum died on December 6, 1996, almost 50 years after he began what became his hospitality empire. He was survived by wife Betty, (who became active in civic matters and philanthropy in West Virginia, and her winter hometown of Sarasota, Florida) and their two daughters and two sons together.
In Charleston, West Virginia, where the business began, the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center and the Schoenbaum Soccer Stadium were family contributions to the community. In addition, at the Max M. Fisher College of Business in Columbus, the undergraduate business program is housed in Schoenbaum Hall named in his memory.[8][9]
References
- ↑ "Shoney's Restaurant Will Open Tomorrow". Petersburg Progress Index. January 20, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved October 1, 2016 – via newwspaperarchive.com.
- ↑ Baker, Bob (May 8, 1960). "$750,000 to be spent on bowling building". Sunday Gazette Mail. Charleston, WV. pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved November 30, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
Emil Schoenbaum is president of the company, his son Alex Schoenbaum is vice president.
- ↑ "Most of Schoenbaum Estate Goes to Sons". Charleston Gazette. August 5, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved October 1, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- ↑ "Alex Schoenbaum, 81, Founder Of Shoney's Restaurant Chain". The New York Times. December 15, 1996. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ↑ Schaffer, Frank (April 17, 1962). "Charleston Drive-In Zooms To Huge 10-State Business". Charleston Daily Mail. pp. 12, 17. Retrieved February 26, 2013 – via newspaperarchive.com.
Then came the expansion outside West Virginia with franchised stores. Before 1956, Shoney's restaurants were operating in Richmond, Salem, Hampton, Norfolk and Newport News, Va., Rochester, N. Y., Philadelphia, Chattanooga, Charlotte and Wheeling [WV].
In this list, the Rochester franchise is Becker's, the Wheeling franchise is Elby's, the Philadelphia franchise is Tune's and the Chattanooga franchise is Shap's. - ↑ "Shoney's Changes Corporate Name". Charleston Daily Mail. October 30, 1976. p. 13. Retrieved October 2, 2016 – via newspaperarchive.com.
- ↑ Zuckerman, David (May 7, 1984). "Shoney's secedes from Big Boy system". Nation's Restaurant News. Penton Media. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
- ↑ Sonis, Larry (December 8, 2015). "Alex Schoenbaum". e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ↑ Moore, Kara (March 28, 2012). "All-American Tradition". WV Living Magazine. Morgantown, WV: New South Media. Retrieved October 4, 2016.