Marie Callender's facts for kids
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Exterior of a Marie Callender's (now permanently closed and known as Meizhou Dongpo) in Irvine, California in 2013
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Casual Dining |
| Founded | 1948 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Callender family (Cal Warren, Don and Marie) |
| Headquarters | Mission Viejo, California, U.S. |
| Products | Food |
| Owner | Elite Restaurant Group |
| Parent | Marie Callender's Inc. |
Marie Callender's is a well-known American restaurant chain. Its main office is in Mission Viejo, California. As of April 2024, there are 24 Marie Callender's restaurants. You can find them in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.
Contents
The Story of Marie Callender's
How It All Started
In the 1930s, Marie Callender and her husband, Cal Warren Callender, started selling pies. They sold them in Long Beach and Orange County, California. In 1948, they sold their family car. They used the money to open a bakery with their son, Don. This bakery sold pies to other businesses.
The first official Marie Callender's restaurant opened in 1964. Don Callender opened this first retail spot in Orange, California. He named it after his mother, Marie. Over time, he added more food items to the menu. Within five years, the chain grew to 12 locations. By 1969, they opened restaurants outside California, in Las Vegas and Houston. By the end of the 1970s, there were 84 locations.
Changes Over the Years
The Marie Callender's restaurant chain was sold a few times. In 1986, it was sold to Ramada Inn. Then, in 1990, it was sold to Wilshire Restaurant Group. In 1999, a company called Castle Harlan bought Marie Callender's.
In 2006, Marie Callender's joined with another restaurant chain called Perkins Restaurant & Bakery. They became one big company called Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc. (PMCI). Their main office was in Memphis, Tennessee.
Sadly, Don Callender passed away in 2009. After this, the company faced some challenges. In 2011, 58 restaurants had to close. This included 31 Marie Callender's and 27 Perkins locations. The company had to reorganize its business. During this time, the Marie Callender's brand was sold to ConAgra for $57.5 million.
Marie Callender's Today
On August 5, 2019, 29 more stores closed. The company that owned both Perkins and Marie Callender's had to reorganize again. The two restaurant chains then separated. Perkins was bought by Huddle House. Marie Callender's was sold to Elite Restaurant Group for $1.75 million. Elite Restaurant Group created a new company, Marie Callender's Inc., to run the chain.
What Marie Callender's Offers
The Restaurants
In recent years, Marie Callender's restaurants often have a full bar. This is different from many family restaurants. They also usually have a salad bar.
The food served is mostly American style. However, many dishes also have flavors from Italian, Mexican, French, Cajun, or Chinese cooking. You can order soups and sandwiches. Pies are a very special part of their menu. They offer over 30 different kinds of pies!
The older restaurants were decorated with items from around the year 1900. This gave them a classic, old-fashioned feel. Newer restaurants have a more modern look. They have clean designs and photos of food.
Frozen Foods
For many years, Marie Callender's has also sold frozen meals and side dishes. These are sold in grocery stores. In 1994, the rights to these frozen foods were sold to ConAgra Foods. The name "Marie Callender's" is still used for these food products.
About Don Callender
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Don Callender
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| Born |
Donald W. Callender
September 27, 1927 Ventura, California, U.S.
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| Died | January 7, 2009 (aged 81) |
| Alma mater | Long Beach Poly High School |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Marie Callender's restaurants and pies |
| Spouse(s) | Katy Callender, Patricia (first, divorce) |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 daughters |
| Parent(s) | Cal Warren Callender Marie Callender (1907–1995) |
Donald W. Callender (born September 27, 1927 – died January 7, 2009) was an American businessman. He helped start the Marie Callender's chain of restaurants. These restaurants first began in Southern California. Don Callender also created other restaurants like Babe's Slim Pign's and Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewery.
Don Callender was one of the first restaurant owners to offer franchise operations. This means other people could open their own Marie Callender's restaurants. The first Marie Callender's franchise opened in Orange, California, in 1964.
Don's Early Life
In the 1930s, Marie Callender (1907–1995), her husband Cal Warren Callender (1907–1984), and their son Don lived in Huntington Beach, California. Marie baked and sold pies to help the family earn money. Don would deliver her pies to customers on his bicycle.
Don graduated from Long Beach Poly High School in 1945. He then joined the Merchant Marine for a short time at the end of World War II. After that, he returned home to Southern California.
Don Callender passed away at age 81 in 2009. He died in Newport Beach, California.
Growing the Business
By 1948, Don was 21 years old. He worked to make the pie business bigger. He sold pies to restaurants in Long Beach and Orange County. In 1951, he bought a home in Long Beach. The Callender family baked their pies there. Later, they moved their growing operation to a larger building in Long Beach.
Eventually, Don decided to open his own store. He opened his first retail shop in Orange, California. He named it after his mother, Marie. He kept trying new things and slowly added more items to the menu. These items later became popular Marie Callender's dishes.
Selling the Company
By 1986, Don Callender sold the company to Ramada for about $80 million. By then, the chain had grown to 120 locations across the country. After selling Marie Callender's, Don stayed in the restaurant business. He planned to start another restaurant called Babe's. However, health problems kept him from finishing the project.
Images for kids
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Exterior of a Marie Callender's (now permanently closed and known as Meizhou Dongpo) in Irvine, California in 2013
