Location of the first Bobo's at Huntoon & Lincoln, now home to Fryer Shack
A drive-in era survivor In 1991, more than 20 years ago, then restaurant reviewer Dena Wallace Anson already referred to Bobo's food and ambience as nostalgic. For a generation who believes that McDonald's created fast food, it is important, Anson wrote, "to preserve the alimental Americana found at W. 10th and MacVicar. Topeka's only true survivor of the drive-in era, Bobo's hasn't changed much since Elsie Bobo and Florence Stanger opened the doors of their first establishment at Huntoon and Lincoln in 1948."
Typical (and not so typical) diner fare While serving burgers, fries, onion rings, milk shakes—the standard stuff of drive-ins across America, Bobo's also featured the Spanish burger, apple pie and chili. These recipes are so coveted that they remain under lock and key and only one person is in the room when the ingredients are mixed. When Elsie's son, Bob Bobo moved the business to its landmark 10th and MacVicar location 10 years later, he brought the basic burger menu with him. Bob Humes purchased the business in 1988 and
made small modifications (he added pork tenderloin) to the time-tested Bobo's fare.
Evolving Faces of Bobo’s Topekans of all ages will recall with fondness the evolving faces that made and served the food at Bobo’s. Depending on the age of the customer, there will be different faces associated with those pungent memories—the Bobos themselves, the Stangers, the Humes, the faces of the staff over the years. Each ownership change came with a prophesy of doom. Yet somehow new owners have managed to preserve the traditions and quality while adapting to an ever-changing environment. For Topekans coming of age now, the face they associate with Bobo's is that of Tricia Marsh.
Sweet and Pretty And what a pretty face it is. "Welcome to Bobo's!" Tricia greets each customer who comes through the door. Her eyes sparkle and she practically beams with sweetness. Yes, sweetness. Tricia is someone who would universally be considered sweet. And that is what attracted her to Bobo's. That nostalgic décor, the
classic food, the carhops – all those elements remind Tricia of a time when “things were so sweet and so pretty.” “So sweet and so pretty” had to be exactly what native Topekan Richard Marsh was thinking when he met Tricia in San Francisco 18 years ago. Both ministers, they found instant attraction and eloped to Reno. While visiting Richard’s family in Topeka, Tricia fell in love with her husband’s hometown. They wanted to raise their children in Topeka, with a slower pace of life and Midwestern values.
Carrying on the Tradition When the opportunity came to buy Bobo’s, they saw the chance to work together as a family (“We teach our kids to work,” she says) and to carry on the tradition of service to the Topeka community. Faithful customers were skeptical of the couple. They would squint and say, “We’ll see.” But their hard work and dedication won over the diehards and they made some new fans in the process. After a while, they fell into a workable rhythm. Things were going smoothly. So they decided to open another location. The sky did not fall; hell did not freeze.
continued on pg. 66 TK...Topeka's Business Magazine
Winter 2012
65