Perkins Restaurant & Bakery

Perkins LLC

Company type	Private
Industry	Casual dining restaurant
Founded	1957 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Founder	Matt Perkins, Ivan Perkins
Headquarters	Memphis , United States
Area served	United States, Canada
Key people	Donald N. Smith (former CEO and chairman)
Products	Breakfast offerings, homestyle dishes, bakery products (pies, muffins)
Parent	Ascent Hospitality Management

Perkins LLC—also identified on signage as Perkins Restaurant & Bakery or Perkins American Food Co—is a U.S.-based casual dining restaurant chain specializing in breakfast offerings, traditional homestyle dishes, and bakery products such as pies and muffins. As of April 2024, the chain operates 265 outlets.

1957−1984

The company was established in 1957 by brothers Matt and Ivan Perkins under the name Smithies Pancake House in Cincinnati, Ohio. The brand began franchising just a year later, in 1958. In 1967, franchisee Wyman Nelson from Minnesota spearheaded a vigorous marketing campaign and broadened the menu selection. From 1969 to 1978, Nelson merged Perkins with Smitty's to create Perkins 'Cake & Steak', managing expansion across the United States from the corporate base in Edina, Minnesota, resulting in over 220 restaurants. The Perkins founders retired in 1979, divesting their remaining shares. Subsequently, Perkins became a fully owned subsidiary of Holiday Inn, headquartered in Memphis, prompting a relocation of its corporate offices there.

1985−1999

Restaurant industry leader Donald N. Smith, serving on Holiday Inn’s board at the time, acquired an ownership interest and assumed the roles of CEO and chairman in 1985. Two years later, the company adopted the name Perkins Family Restaurants and established a master limited partnership with publicly traded shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Expansion efforts included entering the Canadian market with a restaurant opening in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Beginning in 1990, Perkins committed to supporting Give Kids the World Village in Florida by providing donations and meals for terminally ill children worldwide.

Matt Perkins passed away in 1991 at age 79; Ivan Perkins died in 1998 during a period when the franchise operated 462 restaurants across 32 states.

2000−present

In 2000, Perkins merged with a subsidiary of The Restaurant Company (TRC). Castle Harlan, a private equity firm based in New York, acquired TRC for roughly $245 million in 2005. The following year saw the acquisition of Marie Callender's by the parent company, merging both brands under Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc.

June 2011 marked significant closures across multiple states and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Perkins & Marie Callender's, citing $290 million in assets against liabilities totaling $441 million. This restructuring resulted in shuttering 65 locations and laying off approximately 2,500 staff members. After emerging from bankruptcy later that year under Wayzata Investment Partners’ ownership, operational difficulties persisted with additional closures occurring in western New York during 2012.

On August 5, 2019, Perkins & Marie Callender's filed for bankruptcy once more and announced plans to shut down 29 poorly performing restaurants; several Pennsylvania locations closed shortly thereafter. In September of that year, Huddle House agreed to purchase all remaining Perkins units—342 restaurants—broadening its brand portfolio. In May 2020, Ascent Hospitality Management from Atlanta acquired Huddle House, thereby making Perkins one of its subsidiaries.

In May 2023, health code violations led to the closure of a Perkins restaurant located in Urbana, Illinois. By March 2024, Perkins initiated a nationwide catering service through collaboration with ezCater at over 180 sites. Looking ahead to March 2025, Perkins American Food Co. opened a new establishment in Orlando, Florida as part of ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the brand and increase market reach.

See also

• List of pancake houses