Robert L. “Bob” Evans

Robert L. “Bob” Evans was born on May 30, 1918 in Sugar Ridge, Ohio. He married Jewell Waters in 1940 and moved to Gallipolis, Ohio. In 1946 he opened a 12-seat diner in Gallipolis, the first step in what later became Bob Evans Farms, Inc. Dissatisfied with the quality of sausage he could buy for his diner, he created his own recipe and soon was selling sausage to grocery stores and meat markets. With a vision for quality retail sausage, a national restaurant chain, and the saving of family farms, he showed the entrepreneurial spirit to make those dreams a reality. As the company grew to nearly 600 restaurants across the country and expanded from sausage made in 10-pound tubs to dozens of food products in all 50 states, he remained the “farmer down on the farm.” Regarded as a visionary, friend, and inspiration to many, he left a legacy of dedication to quality and customers in the company that bears his name.

Ohio · United States