Mimi’s Cafe was founded by Arthur Simms and his son Thomas in 1978. The original location was in Anaheim, California. The company is a chain of French/American style restaurants with a French chalet theme. The company was sold in 2013 to Group Le Duff, which also operate La Madeleine Country French Cafe restaurants.
Mimi’s Cafe has had their corporate office in Irvine, California, for 37 years, however, Group Le Duff recently moved the offices to Dallas, Texas.
The company currently has 145 locations in 24 states. New CEO Phil Costner has recently stated that he plans to return Mimi’s menu back to their original 1978 plan after lackluster sales.
Mimi's CafeMimi’s Cafe was founded by Arthur Simms and his son Thomas in 1978. The original location was in Anaheim, California. The company is a chain of French/American style restaurants with a French chalet theme. The company was sold in 2013 to Group Le Duff, which also operate La Madeleine Country French Cafe restaurants.
Mimi’s Cafe has had their corporate office in Irvine, California, for 37 years, however, Group Le Duff recently moved the offices to Dallas, Texas.
The company currently has 145 locations in 24 states. New CEO Phil Costner has recently stated that he plans to return Mimi’s menu back to their original 1978 plan after lackluster sales.
Visited the Mimi’s at Tucson Mall. The staff are very friendly but this property should go through a total renovation. You had to finally repair the roof in the south side of building due to water damage, which was an ongoing problem for years.
The repairs were supposedly completed, just so “you could make money for the upcoming holidays “.
If someone from Corp would look at their line and your bonuses.
The restaurant and bathrooms are seriously outdated and disgustingly dirty. The air vents can’t be cleaned they must be replaced.
Close down part of it and renovate, renovate
If you don’t want a lawsuit on your hands, i suggest the CEO, or another higher up WITH
authority, get in contact with me, sooner rather than later.
donnamusic71@ yahoo.com
9/5/19 not knowing the hours of Rancho Cucamonga, CA on Foothill Blvd. We entered the cafe at 8:55 pm. We were met with a woman who said; “just to let you know we close in 4 minutes”. This place begs for business, needless to say we left her rude hello. Went across the street and ate a delicious dinner at Black Bear, where we will continue to dine at, as they are open till 10 pm.
My husband and I and granddaughter are at the Westminster Co location last night and were VERY disappointed with everything. For starters we ordered kids spaghetti for granddaughter and with our letting us know they substituted a spicy pasta for her which she was unable to eat! We both ordered sandwiches and they were tasteless! Service was poor and restaurant was dirty looking! First and last time to eat at Mimi’s!! Now I know why ours in West Des Moines Iowa closed down!!!
Obituary: Mimi’s Cafe
What a sad end to a once fine eating establishment and company.
I have been dining at Mimi’s Cafe in Lone Tree, Colorado since it opened, never, ever again! What used to be a wonderful dining experience, has now been reduced to a very filthy restaurant (the health department will have a field day with this place), with incompetent management and wait staff, and substandard food with a lot of BS excuses, incredibly disappointing.
Your company has owned Mimi’s since 2013, you have made absolutely no improvements in any way, and it has gone from bad to worse. You either know nothing about the food and restaurant business, don’t care or you are using this failing ship as a write off. What a sad, sad end to what was once a fine brand.
After going to Mimi’s in Rogers AR we are so very disappointed. We go there regularly and it is absolutely going downhill fast. First the raw chicken in my cranberry walnut salad $16 something. and couldn’t even eat it. Told the manager nothing done today. Also see cobwebs all over the place when I look up where the flag flys and the balcony with wrought iron. Service is terrible don’t get the dressing with the salad. Told were different cooks since the last time we were there. Food and coffee is cold when it is sposed to be hot. No spoon to stir coffee with. No cream. Manager does nothing but talk loud on the phone so couldn’t get her attention last time we were there. Told her today and she doesn’t care. We have sat for long periods of time waiting for our food or coffee to be warmed up. Cold potatos and fries. Uncooked chicken? What? Doesn’t it matter that we can’t eat it or get it? $ is the issue I guess. Waitress and waiters constantly saying how tired there are. What? no one else was in there. Dirty and going down hill. Once I saw a cook on his cell phone without gloves and cooking at the same time. I think Mimi’s will not have customers left if this is how they treat us and try to feed us accordingly. We will not continue to pay for this service and food and terrible management and cleanliness is an issue. Can you understand? This is a restaurant and I will be contacting the health department…..get it?
I saw the most amazing team of people pull off a very packed program at lunch today. From front to back it was impressive. In a very tight labor market with not enough people I saw a team of people pull off a very full lunch crowd perfectly without a complaint or under served person. It was a like a perfectly executed coordination from the host to the manager clearly jumping into every aspect of creating an experience. Well done…Well exectuted and a good value with great food at Mimi’s Cafe in Corona Ca….
Well, I am beyond frustrated!!! Had an absolute awful experience a few weeks back at Mimi’s! The restaurant was filthy, the food was cold, the food was incorrect, the waitress was slow, and after all of that, they didn’t apply the coupon properly!!! There is obviously too much to go into on here, but I would really appreciate a call back from the corporate office so I can describe it all. I have left an email message and two voice messages and still no response!!! Horrible customer service! I am thinking about taking this one step further if they don’t get back to me ASAP!!!
Hello my name is Eva I just wanted everyone to know that I was raised eating at Mimi’s since the 70’s in Southern California I moved to Reno since and my sister and her husband came to visit form Idaho just to eat at Mimi’s and my husband, had the worst experience last night first of all the menu is terrible we all missed most of are favorite meals also the bread basket missing the loaf bread and are dinner was cold and had no flavor and they were understaffed I believe you need to restructure your restaurant back to the original great place it was in the past thank you
Hello, We have an excellent site for Mimi’s Cafe in Monterey, Ca. Please give us a call to discuss. Thanks, Jim Halpern
I need a regional manager or above to contact me ASAP. I had a lunchtime seminar booked at Mimis Bridgepoint Parkway 94404. 6 weeks ago for today. I book 3 consecutive days there for lunch seminars for senior citizens where we pay for lunch and explain our services. We advertise with 5,000 glossy 8 1/2 by 11 mailers and mas mail and the cost is thousands of dollars to market our seminars at your venue. We do over 40 seminars in the bay area alone each month.
Your restaurant did not have us on the books today. They had us for yesterday and have us for tomorrow. They would not accommodate my rep and all the senior citizens who were waiting outside for their table. What is ridiculous is for all the consecutive months we have booked there, we always book Tuesday-Thursday at 11:30. Someone at the restaurant did not put our group on the calendar, so they would not seat our group.
We lost thousands of marketing dollars, a lot of future business with our senior customers, and this was a tremendous PR hit for us. Your manager refused to accommodate and made very little attempt to make this right.
What makes matters worse is we had the private room booked every month, yesterday we had 9 seniors plus my rep, and our group was kicked out of the private room because they double booked it for a larger party. The area they put our group in was so loud the seniors could not hear. Not one of the 9 seniors booked an appointment with us, when we usually have at least 50% success rate.
Your manager was very rude to my rep, to me, and made our elderly guests sit out in the cold today. This was completely inexcusable. Additionally, I unfortunately have our January dates booked there (January 2-4) 2018 and I could not get Mr. Peralta to give me the time to confirm.
Beginning to end, this has been a fiasco. This experience has cost us a lot of money and even more in a public relations nightmare. I spoke with your guest relations department and while they tried to help, I needed to speak with someone who could help while this was happening and they could not. I also asked to make sure I speak with someone today (regional manager or above) and they could not guarantee this happen). I must have someone call today. Linda, 925-813-XXXXX. Thank you.
I will never used them for a holiday meal again. I planed and order two weeks ahead and called 2 times . I had major surgery 11/13 and knew this was the only way I was going to give my family a meal. Not only did I order the thanksgiving meal I ordered brunch for 6 , spinage dip and corn chowder for 12. When we arrived at 9:45 am for a 10am pick up they told my 19 and 18 year old daughters they needed the confirmation number as the couldn’t find our order. After a hour we left with only 3 bags of food. The muffins were to be a 6 pumpkin we got 2 then blueberry and bran. We got 4 cups of chowder to feed 12 people . We got 2 hot trays of turkey breast meat over something that was to be stuffin , I small gravey , 1 small cranberry sause. 1 small broccoli. Then I made my girls get a manager the. I got 2 small mash poatoes and then I started to cry . He gave us 2 small green bean casserole after I showed him the screen shot of the meal we were to get. I could even walk due to my surgery. I left crying with now sweet poatoes or pumpkin pie that my autistic son has to have. So I have to go to store to buy a ham to stretch me as it’s now 11:00am and dinner is set for 4 . I have to get pumpkin pies , and sweet poatoes and now try to cook on a chair in my kitchen as I have 40 staples in my knee. I spent 230.00 at mimis and 75.00 at the store to stretch what I didn’t get. My son cryied over no turkeyno drum stick to eat. Thanks Mimis for not making a good thankful meal nor did their staff care or fix it. I also emailed corporate with no response. Will will never give them a dollar again or any other in the management corporation.
I am so disappointed that our Mimi’s Restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma closed this past week! And never so shocked. It was always packed when I was in that area! It was our go-to restaurant for gatherings. I have gone there a couple of times at Thanksgiving and been so delighted. Meals were always spectacular. What could have happened? I have noticed a lot of comments on the Facebook notice that other folks were just as shocked and disappointed as I was. Please bring it back to Tulsa!
I wanted to know the exact dates that I worked for mimi’s. I sent an email an called yesterday and no one responded. The location that I worked at was 5070 Bell Tower Shop Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907. I just need the start and end date of my employment. I am not sure if I started there in 2009 or 2010. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
My address at that time XXXXx Herronwood Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33919. My possible phone number at the time was 941-244-XXXXX. If you need any other information then feel free to call me at 516-467-XXXXX.
A friend and I visited hour store located at Town Center in Jacksonville, FL to day approximately 1445 hrs. We frequent your store at least once a week and the last two years I purchase as Christmas Gifts $200 in Gift Certificates. Today was not a good experience.
Upon our arrival we were seated promptly but after placing our order it was 32 minutes before it was delivered and then the order wasn’t right and my meat loaf was very overcooked and no gravy and the Broccolis was not even warm. I tried to choke it down but called our server and asked to speak to the manager. The manager arrived at our table, did not introduce herself, and seemed very annoyed. After explaining what our problem was, she stated “don’t worry about it I’ll take care of it” then departed the area not to be seen again. She was not friendly at all and made us feel as if we were imposing on her and again was not very friendly. We waited another 20 minutes for our server to arrive to square away the bill. I had to leave my seat and find my server and was advised that the manager did not charge us. No one came back to the table to tell us and I am very disappointed at the service and quality of the meal for the first time in the years that we have eaten at your store. There has been a continuous problem in the Men’s Restroom with water staying on the floor and being always unclean and serviced. I over look this every time thinking that the restaurant is very busy and they will take care of it after I bring it to management’s attention.
I am writing to you to tell you that there were two ladies sitting in a booth behind us that were not happy as they received the same service and quality as we did and one of the ladies got on the cell phone and was telling a friend of the bad experience she had and to not book the store for a Birthday Party in November. This is not the quality and service that we have come to expect from your Store. When I spoke to our server as we were leaving and expressing our concerns I was told by her that the manager had to help in the kitchen because there was only one cook and that they were short staffed and not expecting the business at that time of day and that the manager didn’t have a very good attitude or personality.
I’ve been in leadership positions in the Military and Police Departments all my career and I know first hand if there is a problem that needs to be fixed I need to know about it in order to address it and make it right. I don’t want to see your store close and the food in the past has been excellent. I am in hopes that after investigating the situation that the problem can be addressed and fixed. I will leave my contract information below in hopes to hear back from you.
Thank you for your time
Paul Hout
Jacksonville, FL 32206
ph. 904-866-XXXXX
WE HAVE GONE TO MIMIS FOR YEARS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME BAD CHOICE. TOOK ABOUT 20 MINS FOR OUR DRINK ORDER, THEN A FEW MORE MINUTES FOR WAITRESS. MY HUSBAND ORDERED A FRENCH QUARTER HAMBURGER WELL DONE. I ORDERED THE HAM AND SWISS CREPES. THEY MADE MINE AND LET IT SIT UNDER LIGHTS WHILE HIS WAS COOKING FOR 20 MINS. BROUGHT THE MEALS, MINE WAS COLD, AND HIS FRENCH FRIES WEREN’T EVEN READY YET. SO HE STARTED EATING HIS HAMBURGER AND THEY TOOK MINE BACK. WAS QUITE A LONG TIMER TO REPLACE MINE HE WAS ALMOST DONE AND STILL NO FRENCH FRIES. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS EATING ALONE AND HE HAD FRENCH FRIES.WE THOUGHT THE MANAGER WOULD AT LEAST APOLOGIZE TAKE A MEAL OFF, VERY DISAPPOINTED. THIS WAS MIMIS IN SANTEE, CA.
My wife and I are regular patrons of Mimi’s Café. We come in about 2 times a week or more. I have some observations and feedback to Provide:
1. When we order an entrée and ask for mashed potato instead of frites we get charged a $1 Extra for a substitution. It is NOT a substitution because it is “A Potato Side” for a change to “Another Potato Side”. There should be NO Additional Charge but the computer treats as a “Substitution” and charges a $1 Extra. This is NOT CORRECT, Please Change This Practice.
2. When asked if we want a Muffin with a Quiche and ask for a Crousant we got charged $1 Extra. This needs be changed.
First, the server should inform the patron that there will be an Extra $1 charge, so the patron can make a decision.
Bottom line is that Mimi’s SHOULD NOT and DO AWAY with Nickel and Dimming the Customer!
Lou
Greetings,
My wife and I have been a Mimi’s customer ever since we moved to Las Vegas NV.
We go to your North Durango store in Las Vegas. Waite Staff is good and food is good. Menu is old and should be constantly updated .
My complaint is the restaurant is not very clean. Ex: Floors are dirty, Venetions dirty, tables should be throughly cleaned, fixtures and fans are dirty. Bench seats should be removed and cleaned . Food falls should be vacuumed up everyday . Bathrooms leave alot to be desired to.
We are not food inspectors so i can’t comment on the kitchen. If you want to keep your customers, I woud suggest to have a cleaning company come in and due a major cleaning. PS: you want to avoid the Dirty Dining representative havung to come down.
Sincerely,
Stephen Rubin
When you were located in Cary NC I walked to your restaurant and loved it.
My family in New York recently sent me a gift certificate (they didn’t know you closed the Cary location and this gift card was for my 80th birthday). Since I now limit my driving and know no one in Greensboro I’d like a refund. If you are connected to Bob Evans restaurant that is also walking distance for me at their Cary location. Any chance of my exchanging the MiMi gift certificate to Bob Evans gift certificate.
I enjoyed the food at Mimi’s. I hate to freeze in July. It would be nice if the temperature in the restaurant were set for the diners comfort and not the employee. I need a coat every time I come to your restaurant damned if I forgot it this time.
Went to your Sandy Utah location and I’m going to agree with many of the other comments here. The wait staff is clearly inadequately trained. They cannot handle a crowd at all. The wait times were crazy ridiculous for a seat and for a meal, which shows poor turnover which if I’m not wrong is what needs to happen in the restaurant industry. Managers looked flustered and like they need more training as well so they can adequately train their staff. The food was good but not worth a 2 1/2 hour wait. We will not be returning like many of your other commenting former guests.
I’m sending this not so much as a complaint but as a way to let you know why I won’t be returning or sending my guests to your restaurant. For years I have been coming to Mimi’s at the Bell Towers in Fort Myers Florida. Progressively the service time has been lagging. Twenty minute wait at the door with no line. Ten minute wait at the table to wait five minutes for coffee. Thirty minute wait from order to delivery of lukewarm food. Ten minute wait for our check !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are done waiting for the Mimi’s we knew and loved.
We are oldeir and still love good food…Mimis has been our favorite cafe for over 25 years,
We have been to Anaheim, Tustin, Sacramento, Disneyland (harbor blvd). At one time service was terrific and the food was to die for. Having been in the restaurant business for over 20 years, I believe you can become too large..its not a good thing. Micro- management is what they were doing in the early nineties and it worked. Staff was always happy and fun, management
always ready to help with great customer service. I would feel Honored to be able to bring a
Mimis to Redding California. Just happen to have an excellent location with great views, on west side (where most of the people live). Please reply and I will be happy to send you out all the information. (Not a broker any more, retired) Looking forward to chatting with you.
Mimi’s,
It is time to REOPEN your restaurant in Hemet California. The economy is beginning to upswing with the new administration! You could probably get a more favorible lease! Temecua might also be ripe to REOPEN! We enjoyed Mimi’s before and would like to see you REOPEN here. Do you offer Franchises? Maybe a closely managed Franchisee might be a good move. A simple AMERICAN BREAKFAST menu might help along with a SIMPLE AMERICAN LUNCH and DINNER menu along with your standard menu! APPLEBY’S seems to do well here!
Sincerely,
Pat Ennes
Hemet, California
Amen I feel so sad driving by the Hemet location! My husband was on of the managers who opened that restaurant and they spent millions for it to be the best place to eat in Hemet. As Mimis was sold to Bob Evans the corporate mindset over powered the customer first policy. It became money first. We all understand that but it was tragic to shut down
such an icon in Hemet. I hope Mimis returns. Everyone loved its hometown feel and home made taste! Bless you!
Hi I been calling and leaving messages in regards to my w2 I was a recent employee at mimis cafe and Knoxville, Tn if you could have some one return my call I would appreciate it my cell # is (843) 453-XXXXX Thank You
Mimi’s Sacramento on Alta Arden had a foreign object in the chicken pot pie and I broke a molar on. I was told by their management they would take care of it. They LIED and I’ve paid $2,300.00 for a crown and root canal to the traumatized tooth. I was visiting my sick 90 yo mother in Sacramento from LA. I have to fly home sooner than I was expected to, to see my own dentist. I was in such pain I couldn’t eat for 3 days, only having liquid . Mimi’s said ” do what you meet to do, we don’t want you in pain! ” I’m glad I didn’t call in a local dentist over the weekend because I would have been stuck with that bill as well!
I gave all the information requested by Mimi’s within their 24 hour time period to report such claims.
I will NEVER return to a Mimi’s or any other restaurant this company owns. $2,300.00 for pot pie is just tooooo much . You terrible people at Mimi’s!!!
Mimi’s Sacramento on Alta Arden had a foreign object in the chicken pot pie and I broke a molar on. I was told by their management they would take care of it. They LIED and I’ve paid $2,300.00 for a crown and root canal to the traumatized tooth. I was visiting my sick 90 yo mother in Sacramento from LA. I have to fly home sooner than I was expected to, to see my own dentist. I was in such pain I couldn’t eat for 3 days, only having liquid . Mimi’s said ” do what you meet to do, we don’t want you in pain! ” I’m glad I didn’t call in a local dentist over the weekend because I would have been stuck with that bill as well!
I gave all the information requested by Mimi’s within their 24 hour time period to report such claims.
I will NEVER return to a Mimi’s or any other restaurant this company owns. $2,300.00 for pot pie is just toooooi much . You terrible people at Mimi’s!!!
Hello, I am a member of the Mimi’s E-Club. I have used my coupons. The last few times the service has been bad and the food has been cold. Coffee not hot. The time before today, the food was ice cold. The manager told the waiter to take off our beverages, but when I received the check, he said the beverages would not come off because I was using the Buy one Entree, get the other free.
Today, the same waiter took our order, said he would bring one of my people’s muffin out, did not get out till the food came. My omelette was luke warm. The coffee was not very hot. At the end, I asked for my muffin to be boxed up so I could take it home. The muffin came in a dirty broken to go box.
I have given Mimi’s a lot of chances. Today was the last time. I will not be going to Mimi’s again. Food cold, coffee not hot, and bad service, I would rather pay full price.
The waiter? All I can do is shake my head. Pitiful
I also posted a very bad review on Trip Advisor
Mimi’s Sacramento on Alta Arden had a foreign object in the chicken pot pie and I broke a molar on. I was told by their management they would take care of it. They LIED and I’ve paid $2,300.00 for a crown and root canal to the traumatized tooth. I was visiting my sick 90 yo mother in Sacramento from LA. I have to fly home sooner than I was expected to, to see my own dentist. I was in such pain I couldn’t eat for 3 days, only having liquid . Mimi’s said ” do what you meet to do, we don’t want you in pain! ” I’m glad I didn’t call in a local dentist over the weekend because I would have been stuck with that bill as well!
I gave all the information requested by Mimi’s within their 24 hour time period to report such claims.
I will NEVER return to a Mimi’s or any other restaurant this company owns. $2,300.00 for pot pie is just tooooo much . You terrible people at Mimi’s!!!
The exterior of Mimi’s draws you in! I go to the one in Saratoga CA. I gone there for years, but the last few time noticed the interior is looking a little shabby. Furniture legs nicked up, cushions need freshing up. The lamp shades on the large chandelier in the entry are a crooked, bad first look!
Also tables need to have clothes. Just went there last week poor service. Plus it would have looked beautiful with great Christmas decorations. What little they had put up were not good! What about some French music? The manager needs to get crackin’ put the sparkle back in Mimi’s the inside need to be freshened up.
I go to Mimi’s in Yorba Linda once a week & have great service & good food. Tonight I went with a friend to Mimi’s on 17th street in Tustin. The service was poor & the manager rude. I asked for a substitution of equal value that I always receive at the YL cafe. The waitress & the manager both told me that YL cafe does not follow the rules & corporate doesn’t allow substitutions. Lousy customer service. Then I ordered a hot tea & had to ask 2 people for a spoon. My friend ordered coffee & once again had to ask repeatedly for a spoon to stir the coffee. We could not get our water refilled & finally I got up out of the booth & found someone to give me water. Next I had received a Happy Birthday alert on my email for a free slice of birthday cake. I was told I could not have the cake because I was using the 2 for 1 dinner coupon. The cake was not a coupon it was just a alert on email for a birthday treat. My friend is not a frequent Mimi’s customer & said she would never come back with her husband. The positive comment I can make is the kitchen staff knows their jobs & the food was excellent. Maybe you can train your wait staff & manager how to get return customers to the restaurant. My experience tonight was the worst customer service I have ever received.
Greetings! I am CCS Broker in Mohave County Arizona, (the fifth largest county in the USA) We have a prime lot on/off Interstate 40 with 40k both ways traffic count, the owner has asked me to contact you, (his favorite restaurant) to perhaps check out our prime pad between two committed hotels. Please direct me as to where/who I should contact to present our opportunity! We Love MIMIS!