Perkins Restaurant and Bakery

Description

Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, or simply Perkins, is a North American casual dining restaurant chain that serves breakfast throughout the day. It also has a bakery that sells pastries. The Perkins chain was established in 1958, when Matt and Ivan Perkins opened what was called Perkins Pancake House in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the 1960s, the chain expanded as a franchise. One franchisee in Minnesota, Wyman Nelson, introduced an expanded menu and an aggressive advertising campaign in 1967. From 1969 to 1978, Nelson consolidated Perkins and another chain, Smitty's, into Perkins 'Cake & Steak'. From headquarters in Edina, Minnesota, he assumed nationwide development control of the company, and focused on opening over 220 restaurants. In 1979, Matt and Ivan retired, selling their remaining interest in the company, including trademark and distribution rights. In August 1979, Perkins became a wholly owned subsidiary of Memphis-based Holiday Inns, Inc.; corporate headquarters were established in Tennessee. In 1985 restaurant entrepreneur Donald N. Smith, who then served on the Board of Directors of Holiday Inns, purchased an ownership interest in Perkins, becoming Chairman of the Board and the company's CEO. Smith remodeled buildings, and introduced in-store bakeries, distinctive brand imagery, and standardized signage. The company became focused on table-service family dining.