After 33 years of serving up Marie Callender’s famous pies, Callender’s Grill on Wilshire Boulevard at South Curson Avenue, the chain’s flagship restaurant, will close its doors on Sunday, July 15. The fate of the restaurant space, which features a 19th-century aesthetic, with a brick exterior, dark wood interior and brassy finishes, remains undetermined.

(photo by Maura Turcotte)

“We have truly enjoyed being part of the Los Angeles community and hope to see everyone at any of our other Marie Callender’s Restaurants in the near future,” Erin Van Veen, marketing manager for Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery, said in a statement. “The decision to close this restaurant was by no means an easy one – in addition to our lease expiring in July, a variety of other criteria in the immediate area were carefully considered.”

When asked for further details on why the restaurant decided to close, Van Veen did not clarify. Callender’s Grill had notably continued its operations even during the financial struggles of its parent company, Perkins and Marie Callender’s Inc. The restaurant chain declared bankruptcy in 2011, resulting in the shuttering of over 50 Marie Callender’s and Perkins’ restaurants.

According to the property owner, J.H. Snyder Company, the restaurant’s decision came after the company tried to negotiate a higher rent.

“Their rent hasn’t changed in [nearly] 35 years,” Lon Snyder, a partner at J.H. Snyder, said, noting that the property’s value had increased over that period. The real estate company proposed raising the restaurant’s rent by 50 percent, which restaurant management rejected, saying they could absorb an approximate 30-percent rent increase. The property owner was willing to work with that negotiated number, Snyder explained, when Callender’s Grill notified the real estate company that they would not be renewing their contract.

“We wanted to renew them,” Snyder said. “They decided on their own accord to not renew.”

J.H. Snyder has already begun the search for a new restaurant to occupy the space, and expects the process to take a couple of months. The company is also considering hosting two different restaurants in the 16,009-square-foot space.

Any potential remodeling to the building remains undetermined as well, Snyder noted, until the next occupants are determined.

“We’re very family-oriented,” Snyder said. “We’re not the evil landlord.”