Reopenings to put the pie back in Pie Town

 

And then when the owners of The Gatherin’ Place decided to retire at the end of 2020, it looked like tiny Pie Town would be left pie-less.

The thought of a town named after pie bereft of its namesake compelled Sarah Chavez, a pie baker at The Gatherin’ Place, to make a decision.

To keep the pie in Pie Town, she and her husband, Danny, acquired The Gatherin’ Place in January 2020. “We changed the name to Pie Town Pies earlier this year.”

Fast forward to July, and a chance conversation between Chavez and Knapp developed into an agreement that Chavez would reopen the Pie-O-Neer.

“Kathy and I spoke. I did a little soul searching,” Chavez said. “So, I thought about it. My husband still thinks I’m crazy, but you know, that’s what keeps it all exciting. When we really started talking about it I said, ‘Well, why don’t we do this?’ ”

She had already started making changes at The Gatherin’ Place, changing the name, for instance, to Pie Town Homestead to incorporate the vintage and secondhand business next door, and recruiting friends and neighbors to work part-time.

“I am fortunate to have a small army of local pie bakers who will work at one, or both places,” she said. “I do not take it for granted. It is going to be a tough transition in the sense of living up to the reputation created for that little spot, the Pie-O-Neer. We will bake pies for both places at the Pie-O-Neer. But the food will stay down at Pie Town Pies, now Pie Town Homestead.”

Knapp has gifted her with all of her pie recipes...MORE