The 75-year-old American comfort food restaurant, Frisch’s Big Boy, announced Friday that the restaurant chain’s new chief executive officer is James Walker.
“Fewer and fewer restaurant brands today have the kind of legacy that Frisch’s Big Boy has,” Walker said. “The people of Cincinnati and surrounding areas have an emotional connection with this brand. As the brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, I couldn’t be more excited about joining an incredible team that understands that connection. My role is to guide us in leveraging our brand equity.”
Walker comes to the restaurant from BUYK, a grocery startup where he served as CEO.
Walker brings the brand more than 30 years of senior-level management experience in the hospitality and retail industry. He previously held positions at Nathan’s Famous, Baja Fresh, Cinnabon, and Subway.
As the North American vice president for Subway, Walker oversaw their 28,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada and helped start Subway’s delivery program, menu transformation, and remodel program.
Walker holds a master of business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has received certificates and diplomas from several institutions and colleges, including Yale’s School of Management and Harvard’s Business School. Additionally, in 2017 and 2020, he was a Reader’s Pick for the Nation’s Restaurant News “Power List” of notable restaurant executives.