FOLSOM, Calif. — A California-born restaurant chain that has served generations of diners is becoming a much smaller presence after nearly five decades in business.
Mimi’s Cafe, the French-inspired casual dining chain that opened near Disneyland in Southern California almost 48 years ago, has continued to shrink since changing ownership in 2013.
The latest closure came in Folsom, California, on Aug. 16, when the restaurant permanently shut its doors. The closure represents another setback for a chain that once operated a much larger network of restaurants across the country.
A goodbye message placed on the restaurant window thanked customers for their loyalty and said the business would miss seeing them around its tables.
The parent company, France-based Groupe Le Duff, has not publicly provided an official reason for the Folsom restaurant’s closure.
Chain Has Lost 106 Locations Since 2013
The Folsom closure is part of a much broader retreat.
Since Groupe Le Duff took control of Mimi’s Cafe in 2013, the chain has shed 106 restaurants, leaving it with only 39 locations across 10 states.
That is a dramatic reduction for a restaurant brand that became familiar to diners through its French-inspired atmosphere and broad casual-dining menu.
Mimi’s built its reputation over the years with popular breakfast offerings, freshly baked muffins and croissants, and a dining-room design inspired by French bistros.
For longtime customers, the shrinking footprint represents the disappearance of a familiar part of the restaurant landscape.
Northern California Has Seen Major Closures
The chain’s retreat has been especially noticeable in Northern California, where Mimi’s Cafe was once a much more prominent presence.
Following a series of closures, the region is now reportedly down to just one Mimi’s Cafe location in Elk Grove.
Restaurants in Arden Arcade, Roseville and South Natomas have all closed, further reducing the chain’s presence in the area. The Folsom location’s departure adds another former restaurant to that growing list.
Despite the nationwide contraction, California remains Mimi’s strongest state by location count. The chain still has 24 restaurants in California, although that number is a fraction of the footprint it once maintained.
Former Folsom Restaurant Contents Go Up for Auction
The closure is also giving customers and restaurant-industry buyers a chance to purchase pieces of the former Mimi’s Cafe.
The contents of the Folsom restaurant are being sold through a massive online liquidation auction, with bidding scheduled to end Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.
Items reportedly opened with bids as low as $5, putting everything from restaurant furniture to commercial kitchen equipment on the auction block.
The sale includes familiar pieces from Mimi’s French-bistro-inspired dining room, including booth sections, curved booth stations, French bistro chairs, solid-wood dining tables, pub tables, mirrors and chalkboards.
Outdoor furnishings, including wrought-iron benches, are also included.
Commercial Kitchen Equipment Also Up for Sale
The liquidation goes beyond furniture.
The former restaurant’s commercial kitchen is also being cleared out, with equipment including flat-top grills, broilers, an eight-burner range with dual ovens, a walk-in cooler and freezer, commercial refrigerators and an ice maker among the items available.
For potential restaurant operators, the auction offers an opportunity to purchase equipment from an established commercial kitchen.
For former Mimi’s customers, however, seeing the restaurant’s fixtures and equipment sold off is another visible reminder of how dramatically the chain has changed.
Mimi’s Cafe Remains in California Despite Closures
Mimi’s Cafe may be a shadow of its former size, but the brand has not disappeared. The chain still operates 39 locations across 10 states, including 24 restaurants in California.
Its survival comes after years of contraction that have steadily reduced the number of restaurants carrying the Mimi’s name.
For diners who grew up visiting the chain for all-day breakfasts, muffins, croissants and French-inspired comfort food, the remaining locations now represent a much smaller chapter of a restaurant brand that has been part of American dining culture for nearly five decades.
As more locations disappear, longtime customers are left wondering how much longer the California-born chain will remain a familiar sight in communities where Mimi’s Cafe once had a much larger presence.
Did you grow up eating at Mimi’s Cafe, or do you have a favorite memory from the restaurant? Share your thoughts in the comments.
