The College of Business and Administration at the University of Colorado at Boulder has honored Robert F. (Bob) Charles with the 1997 Dean聮s Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
Charles, who moved to Boulder in 1965 with his wife, Judy, managed Boulder聮s original McDonald聮s on 28th Street. By 1969 he owned that store and had opened another on Baseline. In the early 1990s, Charles operated 11 franchises and was heralded as the Burger Baron of Boulder County. He presently owns three stores 聳 two in Arvada and one in Westminster.
Charles is a member of the CU-Boulder Center for Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and he funds the B&J Enterprise Scholarship at the College of Business.