Marie Callendar’s may be known for warm pot pies, but patrons and employees of Marie Callendar’s restaurants in Washington got a cold bit of news last night: The eatery’s parent company told restaurant managers they needed to shut down and tell customers — some in the middle of their meals — to get out.

The manager of the Marie Callendar’s location in Northgate, Wash., told KOMO TV news:

I thought it was a big joke, because I was like, ‘I still have people in the restaurant,’ and they were like, ‘they need to leave.’

There was a party of 25 in the back room. It was somebody’s birthday party, and I feel so bad that we like ruined the celebration.

A corporate spokeswoman told KOMO on Sunday evening, the abrupt closing was “a very difficult decision to make” and the company apologizes “to any guests” in the restaurants. But, it wasn’t until this morning the “why” the sudden shut down was made.

According to several news outlets, Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc. filed for Chapter 11 this morning, citing the rising cost of food staples such as coffee and eggs and declining consumer spending. With more than $440 million in debt and less than $300 million in assets, the company plans on closing 65 of its 600 restaurants and firing 2,500 employees nationwide as part of its reorganization efforts.

Customers kicked out as Marie Callender’s shuts down [KOMO]
Perkins & Marie Callender’s Files Bankruptcy [Bloomberg]

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