The final chapter for Dolly’s restaurants in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas came earlier than expected.
While Thursday was meant to mark the official last day of operation for all six locations, two outlets closed their doors prematurely, signaling the end of the short-lived restaurant chain’s presence in Ohio.
Dolly’s, operated by the Michigan-based Big Boy Restaurant Group, announced earlier this week that it would cease operations across the region following ongoing litigation with Frisch’s. The dispute centers around territorial rights and trademarks linked to the Big Boy brand, which Frisch’s claims exclusive rights to across parts of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Although customers anticipated one last breakfast or lunch at their local Dolly’s, some were met with unexpected closures. The Blue Ash location on Plainfield Road displayed a sign that read, “Closed. Do not enter,” confirming it had already served its final meal. Meanwhile, the Colerain Avenue location in Groesbeck was shuttered Thursday morning, with no notice or signage explaining the closure.
These early shutdowns came as a surprise, especially since Thursday was publicly announced as the final day of service for all Dolly’s outlets in both the Cincinnati and Dayton markets.
The closures are the latest fallout from a legal battle between Big Boy Restaurant Group and Frisch’s Restaurants. According to court documents, Frisch’s filed a lawsuit after discovering that Big Boy was attempting to open new restaurants using the Big Boy branding within Frisch’s exclusive franchise territory.
Attorneys representing Frisch’s stated that a temporary restraining order was granted, barring Big Boy Restaurant Group from using the “Frisch’s Big Boy” name, logos, or any other trademarks or trade names “confusingly similar” to those owned by Frisch’s.
The legal order effectively halted Big Boy’s expansion plans and led to the rebranding of several restaurants in the area under the name “Dolly’s.” Each of these Dolly’s locations was housed in former Frisch’s buildings, many of which had been operating under the Big Boy banner before the dispute intensified.
While Big Boy attempted to keep the Dolly’s brand alive as a workaround, the ongoing litigation made the situation untenable, ultimately leading to this week’s closure announcement.
Neither Big Boy Restaurant Group nor Frisch’s has provided new statements following Thursday’s early shutdowns. However, the signs and locked doors at the Cincinnati-area restaurants made it clear that Dolly’s time in the region had come to an abrupt end.
The closures mark the latest in a series of restaurant brand shakeups across the Midwest, as long-standing franchises navigate legal challenges, market competition, and brand identity disputes. For many locals who grew up frequenting Big Boy or Frisch’s, the Dolly’s experiment represented a short-lived return to a nostalgic dining experience, now cut short once again.
As of Thursday, all six Dolly’s locations in the Cincinnati and Dayton regions are officially closed. Whether Big Boy Restaurant Group plans to return to the area under a new name remains unclear, but for now, the lights are off, and the doors are locked at what were once some of the area’s most recognizable diners.
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