CINCINNATI Blanche Frisch Maier, daughter of the founder of Frisch’s Restaurants, widow of its former chairman and president, mother of its current chief executive and a long-time company board member, died Sept. 1. She was 82.
She was born on Jan. 12, 1927 in Cincinnati, the youngest daughter of David and Annette Frisch. Her father introduced the Big Boy hamburger to Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Florida, and her husband, Jack Maier, and son, Craig Maier, further expanded the company’s reach and added Golden Corral franchises to its portfolio. As of June 2, Frisch's operated 35 Golden Corral restaurants and 88 company-owned Big Boy restaurants. An additional 26 Big Boy restaurants were operated by licensees.
Blanche Maier, who earned her pilot’s license and flew solo while in high school in the early 1940s, also helped out in the family restaurants at a young age. When the company went public in 1960, she was elected to its board of directors and held that position until her death.
She was an avid horseback rider and a patron of the Cincinnati Ballet. Other organizations she supported were the Greater Cincinnati Charity Horse Show, Springer School, Cincinnati Country Day School and the Charity Ball.
In addition to her husband, Maier was preceded in death by her son, Michael. Survivors include her children, Craig Maier, Karen Maier, Linda Maier, Scott Maier, Lisa Dayton and Paula Maier, all of Cincinnati, and Diane Maier Knight of Birmingham, Ala.; and 15 grandchildren.
The family requests that any donations in memory of Blanche Maier be made to the Cincinnati Ballet.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].