Bob's

Bob’s
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Fast food
Founded	1952; 72 years ago Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Founder	Bob Falkenburg
Headquarters	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Number of locations	788
Products	Hamburgers and Milkshakes
Number of employees	4,000
Parent	Brazilian Fast Food Corporation
Website	http://www.bobs.com.br/

Bob's (IPA: [ˈbɔbis, ˈbɔb(ɨ)ʃ]) is a Brazilian fast food chain, founded in 1952 by the American Brazilian tennis champion Bob Falkenburg, Wimbledon tournament winner in 1948. The first store was opened in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. It is the first Brazilian fast food chain.

In 1972, Falkenburg sold the franchise to the Brazilian Fast Food Corporation (BFFC).

History

Bob, as Falkenburg was known, was the one who introduced the concept of fast-food in the country, opening the first restaurant of this type in the country in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.^[2]^[3] In 1972, however, Falkenburg sold the store, which is now controlled by Brazilians, in Guarujá. Today the chain has a varied menu.^{[citation needed]}

Bob's is known for serving snacks with flavors closer to Brazilian cuisine, such as picanha hamburgers. One of the main snacks is the sandwich Big Bob, made with two beef patties, onion, iceberg lettuce, sauce and bread with sesame.^{[citation needed]}

Big Bob

Among the main sandwiches sold by the company, Big Bob is the most popular^{[citation needed]} and it is made of two hamburgers, onions and leaf chicory.

Bob's former logo, circa 2000

The chain also offers innovative sandwiches, as toasted cheese with banana sandwich. Another popular item sold by the franchise is the Ovomaltine milkshake.

Business model

In 1984, Bob's started a franchising system, opening new stores in Vitória, Espírito Santo. Since then, Bob's has been expanding within Brazil and internationally. Today^[when?], there are about 811^[4] stores in Brazil, of which about 320 are franchises. At one time, international stores were opened in Portugal (Carcavelos, Algés and Bragança) as well as in Chile and Angola, however since 2021 the company's website shows that they have closed.^{[citation needed]}

Other brands

Bob's Shakes, formerly known as “Bob’s Sorvetes” (Bob's Ice Cream), sells frozen desserts such as ice cream, milkshakes, and pies. It was rebranded to the current name in 2009 due to increased popularity of its milkshakes (principally the Ovomaltine's) compared to ice cream.

Bexpress by Bob's offers half-finished and ready sandwiches to be heated in the oven, which can be eaten in or carried out.^[5]