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Shari's Cafe & Pies facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Shari's Cafe & Pies
Private
Industry Foodservice
Founded 1978; 47 years ago (1978)
Hermiston, Oregon, U.S.
Headquarters Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.
Key people
 Samuel Borgese (CEO)
Revenue $121.4 million (2023)
Owner Gather Holdings
Subsidiaries Coco's Bakery
Footnotes / references
Company data.

Shari's Cafe & Pies, first known as Shari's Restaurants, is a chain of family-friendly restaurants. You can find them mostly in the western United States. They are famous for their delicious, homemade pies. Shari's also serves a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Many people recognize Shari's buildings because they often have a unique hexagonal shape.

At its biggest, Shari's had 96 locations across five western states and Nebraska. As of August 2025, Shari's has 10 restaurants. These are located in Washington, California, and Idaho. The company's main office is in Beaverton, Oregon.

History of Shari's

SharisLogo
Shari's logo from 2003 to 2011

How Shari's Started

Shari's began in Hermiston, Oregon, in 1978. Ron and Sharon "Shari" Bergquist were the founders. They managed the company for seven years. By 1999, Shari's was one of the largest family restaurant chains in the United States. It was known for its fast growth.

Changes in Ownership

In March 1999, a company called Fairmont Capital Inc. bought the chain for $60 million. At that time, Shari's had 96 locations in seven states. About 4,000 people worked there. The company earned $128 million each year. Shari's was still a top family restaurant chain in 2003.

In December 2005, a new owner, Circle Peak Capital, bought the company. This was a private investment firm from New York.

Leadership and Growth

Larry Curtis, who was the president, retired in July 2008. He had worked at Shari's for 24 years. Bruce MacDiarmid took over as the new president. In 2009, Shari's Restaurants took over some Baker's Square restaurants in northern California. They changed these locations to operate as Shari's.

Shari's Cafe and Pies Logo
Shari's logo from 2011

Shari's Management Corporation in Beaverton now runs the chain. Most Shari's locations are open 24 hours a day. They are especially known for their many kinds of specialty pies. Samuel Borgese became the CEO in September 2017. He replaced Bruce MacDiarmid.

In mid-2017, the company had 95 locations. These were in California, Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. This was almost as many as they had in the year 2000. Shari's used to have restaurants in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Texas. However, those locations closed between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. More recently, during the 2020s, restaurants in Nebraska and Wyoming also closed.

In September 2018, Shari's Cafe & Pies took over two other restaurant chains. These were Carrows and Coco's Bakery.

Recent Challenges

In August 2024, it was announced that Shari's Cafe & Pies was having trouble paying its bills. This included payments for properties, taxes, and other services. Because of these financial challenges, many Shari's locations closed permanently. By early October 2024, the number of restaurants had dropped to 49. These were in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In late October, all Oregon locations closed suddenly. This left only seventeen locations remaining.

See also

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