Following the announcement last week, Frisch’s Big Boy is officially making its return to Maysville.
Tena Nickell, the owner of the Frisch’s Big Boy location in West Union, Ohio, will be bringing her leadership and memory-filled experiences back to the Maysville community.
During a sit-down interview, Nickell explained that when she was growing up, her grandmother would always take her to Frisch’s — specifically, the mainliner. After moving and working at the location in Hillsboro, Ohio, she later relocated to Aberdeen, Ohio and worked at the Maysville restaurant.
After marrying her husband of now 30 years, Nickell began working at the Frisch’s location in West Union, Ohio. The owner had been looking for managers, and the Hillsboro location’s manager recommended her.
“I started in 1996 at West Union Frisch’s as manager, the bottom manager, and worked my way up to the top manager,” said Nickell. “I always told my owner, ‘If you ever want to sell it, I want to buy it, because I want to be owner-operator. It’s just what I want to do.’”
In 2022, the owner, Steve Cacaro, came to Nickell and told her that he thought he was ready to retire, beginning her ownership process.
“He helped me with it, he put me in the right direction, who to contact; he was a very, very, very good mentor, a good inspiration for me, somebody to look up to,” Nickell said.
Nickell expressed that she wants to be an owner who cares, who is a good person and who gives back to the community. She added that while she has been unable to do a lot of that yet, it is her goal.
Having owned the West Union, Ohio Frisch’s location for almost three years, Nickell stated that she initially wanted to purchase the Maysville location when it closed but those plans did not work out. She noted that when it went up for auction it was “not in the cards,” for her at that time. She eventually heard that someone else had purchased it instead. After trying to find the owner, Frisch’s was put in contact with Nickell.
“I’m like okay, if I don’t do it, someone else is going to do it, so somebody’s gotta jump in feet-first,” Nickell said.
When asked what experiences and things she hopes to give back to the community upon reopening, Nickell referred to making memories for both the younger and older generations to grow up with.
“This is where their families come and have their celebrations, their after-graduations. That’s just what people do. They come here after basketball games or baseball games or Sunday after church and they enjoy their family time here with the meal and don’t have to worry about ‘Whose house are we going to,’ and, you know what I mean, cleaning it up and all that good stuff,” said Nickell.
When asked how she felt about the positive reception to the announcement that the Maysville Frisch’s location would return, Nickell expressed her belief that people are excited, happy and have missed their Big Boys, hot fudge cakes, onion rings and tartar sauce.
“I think we’re gonna have a lot of good support from the community, and that’s what it takes, honestly, is the support from the community to be able to make this thrive,” Nickell said.
Nickell also referenced the current need for jobs and the cost of living, stating, “I’m excited to be able to employ people that maybe have not worked for a little bit.”
The Maysville Frisch’s location will host a job fair on July 1-2, during which people may attend open interviews.
Nickell added that the goal is to open on Aug. 1, but that this will depend on equipment, permits and other things.
When asked if having a second restaurant was a big moment for her, Nickell responded, “It’s always been my dream to own my own restaurant; that’s very important to me. But I don’t want to do it just for myself, I want to do it for everybody.”
She further expressed that she wants to be able to give back.
Nickell noted that some employees who previously worked at the Maysville Frisch’s location could potentially return, expressing that she is excited to see familiar faces.
“They’re gonna be so excited to see their people working here again and having that relationship, and it’s kind of like a family when you come into Frisch’s, you’ll talk about, oh, you get to watch your kids grow up,” said Nickell. “It’s just very family-oriented; I really like that.”
The inside of the restaurant will look similar to its previous appearance; however, there are some booths in need of repairs.
“A lot of the people that are doing my repairs and stuff are local people. That’s important to me, is keep it local,” Nickell stated, noting that doing so was also important to the former owner of her West Union, Ohio restaurant.
Mason County Judge Executive Owen McNeill expressed that when Nickell called, her biggest priority was finding employees, noting that hiring the right people can make call the difference.
“While I’m always elated with a new business or returning business to Mason County, we were even more pleased that our Frisch’s Big Boy would be under the leadership of such a proven operator as Mrs. Nickells and family,” McNeill stated. “Their operations in West Union have continued to be an attraction for years now, directly stemming from her 30 years of experience.”
He continued, “Frisch’s represents an American staple and certainly brings back positive memories for all Maysville and Mason County citizens. When people think of their store, they think of family, friends and a good meal, all for a great price. I’m confident that Tena and her team will continue that tradition. Our economic development, career center and licensing teams are always there to assist with job fairs, open interviews, licensing, and much more. Ultimately, we’re looking to streamline the ‘to-do’s for those willing to invest and open new businesses in Mason County.”
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