Marie Callender's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Don Callender |
| Headquarters | Mission Viejo, California , United States |
Area served | California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah |
| Products | American cuisine, pies, frozen meals (licensed) |
| Owner | Elite Restaurant Group (since 2019) |
| Parent | Marie Callender's Inc. |
Marie Callender's is a United States-based restaurant chain with its headquarters located at the Marie Callender's Corporate Support Center in Mission Viejo, California. As of April 2024, the chain operates 24 establishments situated in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.
Initial Establishment
During the 1930s, Marie Callender and her spouse Cal Warren Callender began their venture by selling pies throughout Long Beach and Orange County. In 1948, they financed a wholesale bakery by selling their family automobile, partnering with their son Don. The inaugural official restaurant was launched in 1964.
Don subsequently opened a retail location in Orange, California, naming it after his mother and broadening the menu beyond just pies. Within five years, the brand expanded to 12 outlets and extended its reach outside California to cities such as Las Vegas and Houston by 1969. By the late 1970s, Marie Callender's had grown to encompass 84 restaurants. Nevertheless, the Houston branches faced difficulties and were eventually shuttered by 2001 following failed attempts to reestablish a presence in that market during the mid-1990s.
Ownership Transitions in the Late 20th Century
In 1986, ownership of the restaurant chain transferred to Ramada Inn, followed by a sale in 1990 to Wilshire Restaurant Group, Inc. In 1999, an affiliate of Castle Harlan, a financial firm based in New York, acquired Marie Callender pie shops, Inc. from Saunders Karp & Megrue (SKM).
From 1997 until 2000, the company also held ownership of the East Side Mario's restaurant chain after purchasing it from PepsiCo.
Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc
Castle Harlan combined Marie Callender's with Perkins Restaurant & Bakery in 2006, creating Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc. (PMCI), which established its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.
The enterprise expanded until Don Callender passed away in January 2009 due to complications following a fall.
On June 13, 2011, PMCI announced closures of 58 locations—31 Marie Callender's and 27 Perkins—amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. During this restructuring, PMCI sold the Marie Callender's brand to ConAgra for US$57.5 million. Later that year, PMCI emerged from bankruptcy under the management of Wayzata Investment Partners.
Marie Callender's Inc.
On August 5, 2019, the parent company overseeing both Perkins and Marie Callender's filed for bankruptcy protection and closed 29 restaurants. Subsequently, the two chains were separated: Perkins was acquired by Huddle House, while Marie Callender's was purchased by Elite Restaurant Group. Elite established a new corporation named Marie Callender's Inc. to manage the chain for US$1.75 million.
Restaurant Operations
Marie Callender's locations often include a fully equipped bar, which sets them apart from other family-style dining chains such as Denny's or Village Inn, where alcohol is typically not served. A salad bar is also commonly available.
The menu centers on American dishes with culinary influences drawn from Italian, Mexican, French, Cajun, and Chinese traditions. Selections include soups, sandwiches, and a renowned dessert menu featuring more than 30 types of pies.
Earlier venues featured décor inspired by Victorian England and early American antiques; meanwhile, newer restaurants showcase contemporary interiors highlighting minimalist design elements and food photography.
Frozen food products
Marie Callender's has historically licensed its brand for both shelf-stable and frozen meal offerings. In 1994, these licensing rights were acquired by ConAgra Foods for $140 million, with the Marie Callender's name continuing to represent the product line. A recall was issued in 2010 for its frozen cheesy chicken & rice entree following a salmonella contamination incident.
Don Callender
Donald W. Callender (September 27, 1927 – January 7, 2009) was an American restaurateur and one of the founders of the Marie Callender's restaurant chain, which began in Southern California. He also established Babe's Slim Pign's in Redlands, P.H. Woods in Moreno Valley, Top-Gun Restaurant Grill, and Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewery located in Rancho Mirage.
As an early figure in franchising, Callender opened the first Marie Callender's franchise in Orange, California, in 1964.
Life and background
During the 1930s, Don Callender resided with his parents, Marie and Cal Warren Callender, in Huntington Beach, California. To support the family financially, Marie baked pies which Don delivered by bicycle. After graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1945, he briefly served in the Merchant Marine during World War II before returning to Southern California.
Callender passed away at age 81 in 2009 at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach due to complications stemming from a fall he had suffered more than a year prior.
Retail expansion
By 1948, at age twenty-one, Don had grown the family business by supplying pies to restaurants throughout Long Beach and Orange County. In 1951, he acquired a residence on Gondar Avenue in Long Beach where the family continued baking before relocating production to a Quonset hut on Anaheim Street. Don then ventured into retail by opening his first store in Orange (574 N. Tustin Street), naming it after his mother, Marie. Over time, he broadened the menu and developed products that became signature items of Marie Callender's.
Business sale and subsequent ventures
By 1986, under Don’s guidance, the chain expanded to 120 restaurants nationwide and was sold to Ramada for around $80 million. Following this transaction, Don planned to establish a second Babe’s restaurant in Indio, California, but health complications prevented its completion. The location was subsequently leased to Kaiser Restaurant Group. Shortly after Don’s death, Jackelope Ranch opened at that site as a Southwestern-style barbecue restaurant.