Milton O. Lustnauer, co-founder
of the BBF fast-food chain.
Along with Roy Tuggle, opened the first BBF in 1961 at Central Avenue and Mound
Street. BBF stood for Burger Boy Food-O-Rama. But inside the company, it stood
for "Bigger, Better, Faster," At that time McDonald's was the main
competitive store, and they were going gangbusters, but BBF thought
if they could do everything bigger, better, faster, they could compete with
them. A total of 48 BBF restaurants opened in Ohio, West Virginia and
Kentucky. In 1970, they were sold to Borden Inc.
Jim Near worked for Lustnauer at BBF before going on to become chief executive
and chairman of Wendy's. While with BBF , Lustnauer helped Gov. Jim Rhodes start
the "Sale of Champions" at the Ohio State Fair, often purchasing the prize steer
for BBF . Active in the community, he once bought a polar bear for the Columbus
Zoo.
Before BBF , Lustnauer and his wife, Jean, opened the Green Gables restaurant in
1948 on the West Side. Lustnauer later owned several Wendy's restaurants, as
well as Long John Silvers.
Roy Tuggle, was one of the
pioneers of the modern restaurant business.
When he was fourteen years, during the Great Depression, he hopped a freight
train to Columbus, Ohio. After unloading stoves and refrigerators and working as
a dishwasher, he became a fry cook. By sheer will and discipline he built his
career and a great restaurant business.
When Roy started out, hamburgers were only a nickel and a small restaurant operator had to scrimp for every penny. Years later, when Roy sold his business, he became a millionaire.
He died September 6, 1998 at age 79, in Lighthouse Point, FL