Mimi’s was co-founded by Arthur J. Simms, who flew spy missions for the U.S. Air Force out of London and into occupied France. Arthur was with Allied troops liberating a small French town near Versailles. The town celebrated and he me a beautiful French girl named Mimi. They fell in love, but the war pulled them apart.
Thirty years later, Arthur and his son Tom decided to develop a new restaurant, and the named it for Mimi. The Simms and two partners opened the first Mimi’s Cafe in Anaheim in 1978.
Today Mimi’s operates 48 locations in 12 states and the closest ones to Ventura County are in Chatsworth and Valencia.
Mimi’s had intentions to go public in 2004 but instead opted to be acquired for $103 million in cash and assumption of $79 million in debt by Bob Evans Farms Inc. At that time, there were 81 locations in 10 states, including 47 in California.
Le Duff America Inc., a Dallas-based subsidiary of French based Groupe Le Duff, purchased the Mimi’s chain from Bob Evans Farms in early 2013 for $50 million. It would appear that Bob Evans did not make a great investment. Mimi’s had grown to 145 locations in 24 states at the time. Perhaps they grew too fast.
In mid-2019, Le Duff decided to re-brand Mimi’s Cafe as Mimi’s Bistro & Bakery. The chain had shrunk back down to 77 locations by then. And today, as mentioned above, they are down to 48 locations.
The Le Duff America website mentions the purchase of Mimi’s Cafe in 2013 but otherwise, there is no mention of Mimi’s even in the listing of their brands. The trend does not appear to a friend to Mimi’s Bistro & Bakery but let’s hope for the best.
