The Tootie Pie Company will soon open a gourmet café at 5944 Royal Lane, on the southwest corner of Preston and Royal. Their sign is already on the marquee to tease us all. And from peaking inside the windows, it's clear the build-out is slowly taking shape.
For a little history, Ruby Lorraine "Tootie" Feagan began making pies in 1982 as a way to supplement her income after her husband passed. Her six-pound apple pies soon became a hot commodity in Central Texas and business took off when she opened a small bakery. But by 2005 she was ready to retire and sold her bakery to a small company, who then hired Tootie's daughter as VP of Baking Operations to make sure the quality of her mama's namesake pies never slipped.
You may recognize Tootie's signature cardboard boxes with Tootie's face on the front. They're currently sold at Central Market and HEB stores.
I called Tootie's VP of Operations, Randy Graybill, today to get the low-down on when the café will open. He said the build out is slow because January and February are slow months in the pie business, and they operate on a strict no-debt basis. Regardless, they expect to be open in May.
In addition to pie, Tootie's Gourmet Café will have a coffee bar, bagels, pastries, sandwiches and soups. The apple pie is where it all began for Tootie, as it well should have. It's simply amazing. Sold by the slice or whole, other flavors include pecan, chocolate pecan, coconut supreme, lemon velvet, key lime margarita, buttermilk, heavenly chocolate and pumpkin. And four different fruit pies as well.
