Robert L. “Bob” Evans (1918-2007)

Side A: 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 Bob took the first step in what would later become Bob Evans Farms, Inc., when he opened a 12-seat diner in Gallipolis. Bob, unsatisfied with the quality of the sausage he was able to purchase to serve in his diner, created his own recipe. Before long, Bob Evans was selling his sausage to grocery stores and meat markets. Side B: From his vision of making quality retail sausage, building a national restaurant chain, or saving family farms, Bob Evans was never short on the entrepreneurial spirit needed to make those dreams a reality. As he watched the company grow to nearly 600 restaurants across the country, and from manufacturing sausage himself in 10-pound tubs, to dozens of food products in all 50 states, Bob Evans remained the “farmer down on the farm.” He was a visionary, but more importantly, Bob Evans was a friend and inspiration to many. His dedication to quality and customers is his legacy to the company that bears his name.