Marie Callender's has always fostered an atmosphere of down-home, matronly cooking, from its start as a single location in Orange County during the 1940s to its reign today as a multi-unit empire. But I wonder how Ma Callender would feel about news that not only did her company declare bankruptcy, but that diners at a Seattle-area location were booted out, mid-lunch, because of the bankruptcy.
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The Seattle-area media is understandably going loco over the story, with the best account so far from KOMO-TV Channel 4: not only did they get the offending location's manager to reveal that orders from up high demanded he close the Marie Callender's immediately–even though 25 people were celebrating a birthday in the back room–but they also got a quote from Marie Callender flacks, one of whom said, “This was a very difficult decision to make. We certainly apologize to
any guests in the restaurant…There are certainly a
variety of factors that go into the decision-making process. I can't go
into that specifically. It is a well thought-out but a very difficult
decision.”
“Well-thought out” decision? I haven't been to Marie Callender's in years, and now sure as hell never plan to visit any time soon–and when Marie Callender's emerges from bankruptcy court, this ultimate diss to customers will haunt them for years…
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