Bob Evans

Most Freemasons know about two of our Brothers who founded successful, even iconic restaurant chains. We hear lots of stories about the deeds, Masonic and otherwise, of Colonel Harlan Sanders (Hugh Harris Lodge 938, Corbin, Kentucky) and Dave Thomas (Sol. D. Bayless Lodge 359, Fort Wayne, Indiana). I don't have to tell you those two men started, respectively, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendy's Restaurants.

Did you know there is a third Brother who belongs in that elite group? Successful as he was, you may never have eaten at one of his restaurants unless you live in a specific geographic region. Legend has it that Bob Evans, founder of the restaurant chain bearing his name, would never open a restaurant where it would take more than a day to ship his "farm fresh" sausage by truck.

True or not, sausage was Brother Bob Evans' claim to fame. When he started a tiny diner in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1948 he was unable to get enough sausage, so he started making his own on his farm nearby. Over time, family and friends thought the sausage was so good, they encouraged him to make a business of selling it. Made with the best parts of the hog, however, restaurants and groceries judged his high-quality product to be too expensive. Unable to sell enough sausage elsewhere, Evans started his own restaurant chain, opening the first location on his farm in 1962.

From there, Evans expanded his culinary empire to become a $1.7 billion retail food products company with 480 restaurants in 22 states. Later, outside of his alleged delivery area, he purchased the Owens restaurant chain, based in Texas.

Raised in Morning Dawn Lodge #7 in Gallipolis, Ohio, Brother Evans was also a member of the Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, where he received the 33°. Dedicated to the Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, Evans retired from the restaurant chain in 1986 to devote his life to humanitarian causes. He channeled his energies to helping youth in the 4H and FFA organizations as well as becoming a member of the Ohio Board of Regents where he supported higher-education. He was tireless in his efforts for the Heart Fund, the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Blindness, Arthritis Foundation and Easter Seals among others.

Brother Evans passed away in 2007 at the age of 89. Since his death his farm near Rio Grande Ohio has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is the home of the Homestead Museum which features items from his life and the company he founded. Although a big conglomerate has gobbled up his venerable restaurant chain, the food hasn't changed and you can still feel the presence of Brother Bob inside. The next time you're traveling through the Midwest, you might run across one of its distinctive red and white buildings in what is known as the"Steamboat Victorian" style. If you do you might stop in and remember our Brother as you have the same kind of meal he would have served you down on the farm years ago.