The Parkette Drive-in opened here in 1947. In 1954, the owner, Alex Schoenbaum, renamed the restaurant Shoney's Big Boy and began operating other locations as part of the Big Boy chain. There are conflicting reports of just when Shoney's went independent. Some say 1976, others claim it happened in the early 1980s. In 2008, this Big Boy statue was installed on top of a 14-foot-tall pedestal as a tribute to Schoenbaum and the Shoney's chain. It was built in the style of the second Parkette Drive-in building which was round. That building was demolished in 1974. The monument functions as the Shoney's Museum with photos and information in the windows of the structure's base.

Big Boy International did not approve of this monument. The company felt that it created confusion about between the two chains and demanded that the statue be removed. In 2009 with the threat of lawsuits, it seemed inevitable that the statue would be removed. Sometime after 2010, the sign on the monument was changed from Shoney's Museum to Parkette. Perhaps that was enough to satisfy Big Boy International. The statue was still there in 2018. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]