The owner and operator of the last Marie Callen der’s restaurant in Colorado said Tuesday that a rough economy and a new franchise agreement he was asked to sign caused him to shutter the popular eatery Saturday.
Rob Grisham owned and operated the Marie Callender’s at South Broadway and East Dry Creek Road in Littleton for 21 years.
“Our demise would have been inevitable with declining sales and three soft months ahead of us,” Grisham said.
In July, Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc. filed a plan for reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, announcing it would close four Perkins restaurants in Colorado and 27 Perkinses nationally.
The company also closed 31 Marie Callender’s nationally. The chain is well-known for its pies.
Grisham said the remaining Marie Callender’s franchisees were asked to sign a 10-year agreement and pay a new 3 percent marketing fee, which amounted to about $40,000 for him.
Vivian Brooks, corporate spokeswoman for the chain, said the decision to close was Grisham’s alone. Howard Pankratz, The Denver Post; Photo: Denver Post file
