In 1964, Marie's son, Don Callender, opened the first Marie Callender's restaurant. By 1970 the chain had grown to 26 restaurants.

Today the Marie Callender's restaurant in the Hacienda Gardens Shopping Center, on Meridian and Foxworthy avenues, holds onto many of the same traditions started so many years ago.

"We are a franchise now. That means that most of our menu is planned by the parent company," says Ron Garald, who purchased his restaurant in 1986. "But we still choose to keep the same quality that Marie started with, and we have a features menu of selections our chefs make."

Known mainly as a family restaurant, Marie Callender's has a cozy yet spacious dining area.

Aside from the pies the restaurant has become famous for, Marie Callender's has a large selection of lunch and dinner items to please most any palate, as well as a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wondering what to have for dinner? Customers can try the home-style pot roast dinner, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and pan-roasted vegetables.

There are also the Callender classics, such as grilled lemon chicken, country-fried steak and baked meatloaf.

A soup and salad bar is available for both lunch and dinner, with a selection of traditional soups and six salads, such as the chicken Caesar salad, a house special.

"We try to give our guests the closest to home cooking, without them being at home," says Garald.

Everything on the menu at Marie Callender's is available for take-out, for those times when guests need to eat on the run.

"We want our guests to be comfortable when they come here," says Garald. "We've learned that our guests receive the best service from our employees when they are happy. So if the employees are happy, the guests are happy, and the restaurant runs smoothly."

The large banquet facilities at Marie Callender's can host from 20 to 60 guests. A banquet menu makes the ordering easy.

"We host a lot of banquets. We get very busy, and for the sake of our guests we take reservations now. That way no one has to sit and wait for a table," says Garald.

Most of the dishes served at Marie Callender's come with the cornbread that has helped make this restaurant famous. A few years ago Marie Callender's began selling their cornbread mix at grocery stores, and it has become a big hit with customers.

With the success of the cornbread, Marie Callender's now also sells several frozen entrees in local grocery stores.

From entrees to side dishes, in the freezer section of most chain grocery stores, people can usually spot a large selection of frozen food in the green packaging.

Located at 2831 Meridian Ave., Marie Callender's is open at 9 a.m. every day for pies. Brunch is available Sundays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with the regular menu served until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Fridays the restaurant is open until 10 p.m. For reservations or banquet information, call 408.265.7130.