Marie Callender's closes one of its last Bay Area restaurants

SAN JOSE, Calif. - One of the last surviving Marie Callender's restaurants in the Bay Area closed its doors after 48 years in business. 

According to the Mercury News, the location on Blossom Hill Road shuttered its doors on Monday.

The restaurant closed earlier than expected on Monday after pie lovers bought up all the bakery items.

Franchise owner Ron Garald told the news outlet he tried his hardest to get the doors open, but the pandemic made it impossible. 

"My lease was coming up and with COVID, my sales dropped drastically," Garald said."I just couldn’t afford the rent any more."

When the pandemic struck two years ago, the American economy fell into a sickening freefall as businesses everywhere shuttered and consumers stayed inside to avoid getting sick. Even with the removal of mandates and loosening of restrictions, many businesses have been slow to recover, Marie Callender's was one of those.

The Sunnyvale location is the last Marie Callender's restaurant in the Bay Area.