Editing Marie Callender's (section)

==History==
===First foundation===
In the 1930s, Marie Callender and her husband Cal Warren Callender began selling pies in the city of [[Long Beach]] and in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shin |first1=Tony |title=Marie Callender's Set to Close 19 Locations in Southern California |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/marie-callenders-closing-california-los-angeles-521857851.html |access-date=2 November 2019 |publisher=NBC Los Angeles |date=5 August 2019}}</ref> In 1948, they sold their family car and used the money to set up a wholesale bakery with their son [[Don Callender|Don]]. The first official location was opened in 1964.<ref name="CTLAT">{{cite news |title=DON CALLENDER: 1927-2009 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2009-01-13-0901120461-story.html |access-date=2 November 2019 |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=13 January 2009}}</ref>

Eventually, Don opened a retail outlet in [[Orange, California]], naming it after his mother, gradually adding other food.<ref name="CTLAT"/> Within five years the chain was expanded to 12 more locations and opened its first locations outside of California (Las Vegas and Houston) in 1969. It grew into 84 locations by the end of the 1970s. However, the Houston location closed down in 1981. In 1996, the company announced that they planned to open three new restaurants in the Houston area once again.  At the end, all three remaining locations in Houston closed down in 2001 due to restaurants being unprofitable.<ref name="HBJMCC"/>

===Late 20th century sales===
In 1986, the restaurant chain was sold to [[Ramada Inn]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Horovitz |first1=Bruce |title=Ramada Inns Purchases Callender's for $90 Million |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-02-07-fi-5443-story.html |access-date=14 November 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=7 February 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ramada Agrees to Sell Its Marie Callender Pie Chain |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-25-fi-376-story.html |access-date=3 December 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=25 March 1989}}</ref> then in 1990, to Wilshire Restaurant Group, Inc.<ref name="HBJMCC"/> Marie Callender [[pie shop]]s, Inc. was purchased from Saunders Karp & Megrue (SKM)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-16-fi-33996-story.html|title=Marie Callender's Sold for $150 Million|date=November 16, 1999|last=Hernandez|first=Greg|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref> in 1999 by an affiliate of [[Castle Harlan]], a New York-based financial firm.

The company owned the [[East Side Mario's]] restaurant chain from 1997 (when it bought the chain from [[PepsiCo]]) to 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1997-02-27|title=Marie Callender Parent Buys East Side Mario's Chain|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-27-fi-32847-story.html|access-date=2020-09-30|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc===
In 2006, Castle Harlan merged Marie Callender's with another of its interests, [[Perkins Restaurant & Bakery]]. The combined chain, known as Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc. (PMCI), was headquartered in [[Memphis, Tennessee]].

The business flourished until Don Callender died on January 7, 2009, due to complications resulting from head trauma sustained during a fall at home.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://fastfood.ocregister.com/2009/01/08/marie-callenders-founder-dies/11038/ |title=Marie Callender's founder, Don Callender, dies |access-date=2010-08-10 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708205345/http://fastfood.ocregister.com/2009/01/08/marie-callenders-founder-dies/11038/ |archive-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On June 13, 2011, a total of 58 units were closed, including 31 Marie Callender's and 27 Perkins' due to bankruptcy restructuring ([[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2011/06/13/marie-callenders-closes-31-units-amid-bankruptcy/|last=Luna |first=Nancy|date=June 13, 2011|title=Marie Callender's closes 31 units amid bankruptcy|work=[[Orange County Register]]|access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref> During bankruptcy, PMCI sold the Marie Callender's brand to ConAgra for US$57.5 million.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/conagra/update-1-conagra-bought-rights-to-marie-callenders-brand-idUSN1418859020110614 | title=ConAgra bought rights to Marie Callender's brand | publisher=Reuters | date=June 14, 2011 | access-date=January 27, 2020 }}</ref> Later that year, PMCI exited bankruptcy under the control of Wayzata Investment Partners.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2011/12/02/perkins-bankruptcy-wayzata-investment.html|title = Perkins emerges from bankruptcy with Wayzata firm in control|last=Stych|first=Ed |work = [[Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal]]|date=December 2, 2011| access-date = August 5, 2019}}</ref>

===Marie Callender's Inc.===
On August 5, 2019, 29 stores were closed and the holding company for Perkins and Marie Callender's filed for bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/perkins-marie-callenders-bankruptcy-idUSL2N2510C2|last1=Stempel  |first1=Jonathan |last2=Zieminski |first2=Nick |date=August 5, 2019|title=Perkins & Marie Callender's files for bankruptcy|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nrn.com/finance/perkins-marie-callender-s-close-29-restaurants-amid-bankruptcy-filing?|last=Luna |first=Nancy|date=August 5, 2019|title=Perkins & Marie Callender's close 29 restaurants amid bankruptcy filing|work=[[Nations Restaurant News]]|access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref> The chains were later split apart, with Perkins being bought by [[Huddle House]], while Marie Callender's was sold to Elite Restaurant Group, which formed a new company known as Marie Callender's Inc. to operate the chain, for US$1.75 million.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/after-13-years-2-bankruptcies-perkins-marie-callenders-split | title=After 13 years and 2 bankruptcies, Perkins and Marie Callender's split up | first=Jonathan | last=Maze | work=Restaurant Business | date=September 13, 2019}}</ref><ref name="elite_buy">{{cite news |last1=Luna |first1=Nancy |title=Slater's 50/50 owner buys Marie Callender's |url=https://www.nrn.com/dessert-trends/slaters-5050-owner-buys-marie-callender-s |access-date=21 July 2022 |work=Nation's Restaurant News |date=6 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref>