Hello, I'm an expert in culinary history and brand development. Let's delve into the origins of the Marie Callender's brand.

Marie Callender's is named after a real person, Marie Callender, who was a successful American restaurateur and cookbook author. She was born in 1912 and is known for her pies, which became quite famous. The brand was established in the 1940s when Marie and her husband opened their first restaurant in Orange, California. Over the years, the brand has expanded to include not only restaurants but also a line of frozen meals and pies that are available in grocery stores.

So, to answer your question, Marie Callender was indeed a real person, and the brand was built around her name and culinary expertise.

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Like some other namesakes, Marie Callender was a real person but had no actual involvement with the company. Her son Don Callender is the one who, in 1948 at the age of 20, opened a wholesale bakery to make pies for the restaurant business, and he named it after her because nobody would want "Don's Pies".read more >>