Bakers Square

Bakers Square
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Casual dining restaurant
Predecessor	Mrs. C's, Poppin' Fresh Pies
Founded	December 1, 1969; 56 years ago in Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Fate	Acquired by BBQ Holdings in 2021
Headquarters	Denver, United States
Area served	Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio
Products	Pie, breakfast, lunch, dinner
Owner	BBQ Holdings
Parent	BBQ Holdings
Website	www.bakerssquare.com

Bakers Square Restaurant & Bakery—commonly referred to as Bakers Square—is a casual dining restaurant chain in the United States known for its signature pie offerings alongside comprehensive breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections. As of June 2025, the brand is owned by BBQ Holdings and operates seven outlets located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio.

History

The origins of Bakers Square trace back to December 1969 with the establishment of a single eatery called Mrs. C's in Des Moines, Iowa, which quickly gained a reputation for its pies. Around that period, the Pillsbury Company acquired Mrs. C's, rebranding the chain as Poppin' Fresh Pies and expanding its footprint. In 1983, VICORP, the parent company of the Village Inn chain, purchased Poppin' Fresh Pies from Pillsbury and introduced the Bakers Square name.

Operations

Bakers Square focuses mainly on the Upper Midwest region, operating in distinct markets from Village Inn except within Des Moines. The original Mrs. C's location ceased operations in 2008 amid VICORP’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. In 2009, American Blue Ribbon Holdings—supported by Fidelity National Financial and Newport Global Advisors—acquired VICORP’s assets, including Bakers Square.

During the early 1990s, VICORP sought expansion through Angel's Diner by acquiring rights in Florida; however, the venture failed to gain momentum and resulted in an $11 million write-off.

On April 3, 2008, VICORP filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leading to the closure of 56 company-owned restaurants and reducing Village Inn and Bakers Square combined locations to 343. Village Inn continues operations across Midwestern states as well as in Texas and Florida.

Following VICORP’s acquisition of Sambo’s chain in 1984, Bakers Square expanded to over 90 locations in California. The brand competed with Marie Callender's and Coco's Bakery but experienced significant contraction during the mid-2000s economic downturn. By 2009, more than 80 California outlets had either closed or been converted into other concepts such as Du-par's Restaurant & Bakery or Polly's Pies. The final Southern California location in San Diego eventually shut down, with Panera Bread slated to take over the site.

VICORP also closed its pie production facility in Los Angeles County; however, two remaining plants in Illinois and Minnesota continue to produce roughly 18 million pies annually for Bakers Square, Village Inn, and J. Horner’s food service brand.

In March 2009, Shari's Restaurants acquired four Bakers Square locations in the Bay Area and operated them temporarily under the Bakers Square name.

VICORP withdrew from the Michigan market where it previously maintained several Bakers Square restaurants.

On January 24, 2020, nine Bakers Square locations across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota were closed. Shortly after this reduction, on January 27, American Blue Ribbon Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and shuttered an additional 33 units spanning both Bakers Square and Village Inn.

By September 14, 2020, Bakers Square had emerged from bankruptcy under a reorganized parent entity named VIBSQ Holdings LLC with a total of fourteen operating locations.

The final store in Wisconsin closed its doors in December 2020.

In July 2021, VIBSQ Holdings was acquired by BBQ Holdings—the parent company of Famous Dave's BBQ.

External links

Official website