The Merage family is a wealthy Iranian Jewish family residing in Orange County, California. In 2004 the Merage Jewish Community Center opened in Irvine California; the center was named after the Merage Family and serves the needs of Orange County.David and Paul Merage co-founded Chef America Inc. where they created the popular microwavable snack, Hot Pockets, in the early 1980s. The brothers later sold the Chef America Inc. company to Nestlé for $2.6 billion. Hot Pockets were manufactured in Englewood, Colorado, Chef America’s former headquarters, until moving its business to the rest of Nestlé’s frozen business in Solon, Ohio.