Where pie is ‘an entire meal experience’
Four years ago, after growing up baking treats in his family’s kitchen with his mother, Matthew Heffner made his mom’s lifelong dream of opening a pie shop come true.
The first Pie Hole opened in Los Angeles in 2012. The shop will open its first Orange County location in Old Towne Orange in March.
Matthew Heffner’s wife, Lindsay Heffner, said the family’s goal was to reintroduce the United States to all-American pie shops.
“What’s more fun than going to your little local pie shop and having a great slice of pie and cup of coffee?” said Lindsay, who co-owns the business with her husband, his mother, Rebecca Grasley, and their friend, Sean Brennan.
She said the business stands out because pie can serve as breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
“A lot of people ask us what sets us apart from the cupcake craze and ice cream shops,” she said. “We’ve always said it’s because you can have an entire meal experience with pie.”
The shop offers savory and sweet pies, which are on display for guests to see as they walk through the door, as well as a variety of coffees.
One of its most popular savory pies is the macaroni and cheese, which is stuffed with pasta and four kinds of cheese and topped with a garlic panko crust, Lindsay said. Other flavors include chicken and cornbread, veggie curry and shepherd’s pie.
Breakfast varieties include Swiss and leek quiche and a bacon, sausage, egg and cheese hand pie.
As far as sweet pies go, Earl Grey Tea is the most desired of the dozen or so varieties, Lindsay said. The unique treat, created to honor the Heffners’ favorite TV show, “Downton Abbey,” is made of tea-infused white chocolate mousse with a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom crust. It is topped with house-made whipped cream and salted pistachios.
“We’re kind of nerds and we wanted to do something to celebrate ‘Downton Abbey’ Season II,” Lindsay said. “We were just talking with our chefs about doing something fun and we came up with this fun idea.”
Lindsay said that although The Pie Hole has been considered a “hipster” diner, they have many regulars, including couples, families and groups of friends who like spending time together over slices of pie and cups of coffee.
San Clemente husband and wife Rick and Madeleine Anaya will be running the Old Towne Orange location, which is expected to open by mid-March, under a franchise agreement.
“When my wife, Madeleine, and I first got married about 30 years ago, we couldn’t find good coffee in our area,” he said. “We then developed this dream to have our own pastry and coffee shop after making our own coffee for ourselves. It was the best in the neighborhood.”
The Anayas met the Heffners and Brennan through a mutual friend and decided The Pie Hole was the right fit for them.
“When I got to know the owners, we felt they were really decent, good people to work with,” he said.
The Anayas said they plan on opening more Orange County locations in the coming years.
Lindsay said The Pie Hole, which currently has three locations in Los Angeles County, has been requested by people in other counties, with Orange County being the most desired location.
“We’ve been super lucky as a company to have a lot of fans,” she said. “We know the trek up here isn’t the most fun from Orange County. When we had the opportunity to partner with Rick and Madeleine, it was perfect. I had never been to Orange circle before. I loved it the minute we got there.
“It just has this super quaint vibe and is a neighborhood. People seem to know each other there, and it seems like a very tight-knit community. It’s the perfect spot for our first Orange County location.”
Amanda Tobon, 27, of Santa Ana, who is nearly six months pregnant, said The Pie Hole fulfills her pregnancy cravings for sweets. She has made the hourlong trek to the downtown Los Angeles location with her father, Luis Tobon, a couple of times.
“Now that they’ll be local, that will definitely change,” she said. “I literally had pregnancy Pie Hole dreams last night. I woke up convinced I could smell their chocolate crostata. It is a slice of actual pregnancy heaven.”
Luis Tobon said the ingredients are what make the commute to the Los Angeles Pie Hole worth it.
“My favorite things about The Pie Hole is the intense tastes of the pies,” said the 54-year-old Huntington Beach resident. “Everything I’ve tried there seems more taste-concentrated, more extreme, but without being overwhelming. And the crusts are so perfect-tasting for being the carrier of their fillings.
“It’s like the way a good or bad tortilla can make or break a burrito. Pie Hole’s pie crusts complement the gooeyness of the insides. Pie Hole makes the perfect pie.”
The Pie Hole will be located at 177 N. Glassell St. in Orange.
