Bob's Men's Shop, Knott's Berry Farm

Bob's Men's Shop, December 1966

Bob and Patty Anderson opened Bob’s Men’s Shop on Grand Ave. at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park on November 1, 1956. Bob was the brother-in-law of Marion Knott. Over time, the Andersons doubled their floorspace and brought their three children into the business. Their longtime store manager, Max Moore, had been friends with Bob Anderson since childhood in Iowa.

Bob Anderson (left) and Max Moore, 1986. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

Bob’s Men’s Shop was one of the last survivors among the once numerous individually-owned businesses located at Knott’s. The transition to the current situation – where Knott’s Berry Farm itself operates most of the on-site shops and concessions – arguably began when the Knott family put up a fence around the property in 1968 and started charging admission. The process really ramped up in the 1980s, when Knotts brought in a general manager from outside the family who really began to purge the little mom-and-pop businesses from the “farm.” Perhaps because it was outside the gate, Bob’s somehow managed to survive the purge. 

In 1997, several important changes happened at Knott’s Berry Farm that would impact Bob’s Men’s Shop. First, construction began on the huge, wooden Ghost Rider rollercoaster, which required a reconfiguration of the fence around Knott’s and changes to the unfenced California Marketplace area in which Bob’s was located. At that time, Bob’s moved a couple doors down within the same building. 

Also in 1997, the Knott family sold Knott’s Berry Farm to Ohio-based Cedar Fair. This set the stage for many additional changes on the farm. Over time, almost all of the remaining small businesses on Knott’s property would close.

Bob's Men's Shop, shortly after opening, in 1956.

The Anderson family closed Bob’s on May 2004. It did not reopen elsewhere or under another name, although a few product lines (notably some of the Pendleton products and a selection of hats and footwear) were picked up by the World Market shop, across the street.

Bob’s carried some great brands, like Pendleton, Reyn Spooner and London Fog, as well as quality western wear. I was sad to see them go.

Bob Anderson retired to Newport Beach. He is in the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame for swimming. (He recieved a B.A. in economics from Stanford University, where he also played football.)