MCL Restaurant & Bakery, formerly known as MCL Cafeterias, is a chain of American cafeteria-style restaurants based in Indianapolis. As of April 2024, the company operates 13 locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

Background

The company began with a single cafeteria in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1950, founded by Charles O. McGaughey and George Laughner. MCL is an abbreviation of their two names. Today, the chain operates locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. It is a privately owned company, now exclusively owned by the McGaughey family. In 2007, MCL Cafeterias changed the brand to "MCL Restaurant and Bakery", although no fundamental changes were made in production. MCL competed with Laughner's Cafeteria, which was founded by a cousin.