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Perkins Restaurant & Bakery facts for kids
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A Perkins restaurant and bakery in Gillette, Wyoming
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Trade name
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Perkins |
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Formerly
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| Industry | Restaurant and Bakery |
| Founded | 1958 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Founders | Matt and Ivan Perkins |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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266 |
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Key people
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James O'Reilly CEO Blain Shortreed, COO Steve Roach, CTO |
| Owner | Ascent Hospitality Management |
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Number of employees
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10,000+ |
Perkins LLC, also known as Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, is a popular American restaurant chain. It serves breakfast and other home-style meals all day long. Perkins is also famous for its bakery items, like pies, muffins, and other sweet treats. As of April 2024, there are 265 Perkins restaurants open.
Contents
History of Perkins
How Perkins Started (1957−1984)
The Perkins restaurant chain began in 1957. Two brothers, Matt and Ivan Perkins, opened their first restaurant. It was called Smithies Pancake House and was in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1958, the chain started to grow by offering "franchises." This means other people could open their own Perkins restaurants using the same name and recipes. A person named Wyman Nelson, who owned a Perkins in Minnesota, helped the company grow even more. He started new advertisements and added more items to the menu in 1967.
From 1969 to 1978, Nelson brought Perkins and another restaurant chain together. He renamed the company 'Perkins 'Cake & Steak. From their main office in Edina, Minnesota, they helped open over 220 new restaurants across the country. In 1979, Matt and Ivan Perkins decided to retire. They sold their part of the company. Later that year, Perkins became part of a larger company called Holiday Inn. The main office then moved to Memphis, Tennessee.
Growing and Changing (1985−1999)
In 1985, a restaurant expert named Donald N. Smith bought a share of Perkins. He became the head of the company. In 1987, the company changed its name to Perkins Family Restaurants. It also started selling parts of its ownership on the stock market.
Perkins began to expand into Canada, opening a restaurant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In 1990, the company started working with Give Kids the World Village. This charity helps children with serious illnesses. Perkins gives money and meals to this special village in Kissimmee, Florida.
Matt Perkins passed away in 1991 when he was 79 years old. Ivan Perkins died in 1998. At that time, Perkins had 462 restaurants in 32 different states.
Recent Years (2000−present)
Perkins went through many business changes in the 2000s. In 2000, it joined with another company called The Restaurant Company (TRC). In 2005, a company called Castle Harlan bought TRC for about $245 million.
In 2006, the company that owned Perkins also bought Marie Callender's. This was another restaurant chain known for its pies. They combined the two companies to form Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc.
In June 2011, many Perkins restaurants closed suddenly. This happened in several states, including Colorado, Florida, and Minnesota. Later that month, Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc. had to reorganize its business due to financial difficulties. They closed 65 restaurants and many workers lost their jobs. The company was able to continue operating by the end of 2011. However, it still faced challenges. In 2012, most Perkins restaurants in western New York also closed.
On August 5, 2019, Perkins & Marie Callender's again faced financial difficulties. They announced the closure of 29 restaurants that were not doing well. The next month, some locations in northern Pennsylvania also closed. On September 12, 2019, another company called Huddle House bought all the remaining Perkins restaurants, which was 342 locations. In May 2020, Ascent Hospitality Management bought Huddle House. This made Perkins a part of Ascent Hospitality Management.
In May 2023, a health inspector temporarily closed the Perkins restaurant in Urbana, Illinois. This was because food was not being stored at safe temperatures.
In March 2024, Perkins announced a new plan to offer catering services at over 180 locations. In March 2025, "Perkins American Food Co." opened a new restaurant in Orlando, Florida.
See also
- List of pancake houses