Exec: Perkins places staying put in Valley

Staff report

Youngstown

The president of the company that owns five local Perkins restaurants wants to make one thing clear: His restaurants aren’t going anywhere.

Marc Teaberry, president of Meadville, Pa.-based Unique Ventures Group LLC, which employs about 1,300 at 28 Perkins restaurants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, said Wednesday his establishments have been flooded with calls asking if the restaurants will remain open.

Perkins & Marie Callender’s Inc. on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and immediately closed 65 corporate locations.

Teaberry oversees the five Mahoning Valley locations: Boardman, Austintown, Canfield and two in Warren. There also is a Perkins in New Castle, Pa.

“We’re just trying to get the word out,” Teaberry told The Vindicator. “Some of our guests don’t understand. None of our operations are really involved with them [corporate].”

A Perkins corporate representative on Monday confirmed that none of Ohio’s Perkins would close.

Teaberry said the unfortunate news has adversely affected his business.

“We’ve had a good year so far,” he said. “This [decision] doesn’t do us much good.”