SLICE OF TRADITION — Larry Norris, the father of Julike Hanke, shakes hands with former owner Gregg Lucas.
A longtime Kokomo pie shop isn’t gone for good after all.
After Moore’s Pie Shop closed last month, a new owner has stepped in to resurrect the business and keep its legacy alive in the City of Firsts – just in time to push out the holiday pies. The business is expected to reopen this week at the hands of Julie Hanke.
“I’m so excited because what would Kokomo be without Moore’s Pie Shop?” Hanke said. “Everybody was so depressed that it closed. And as long as it’s got the same recipes and they’re done the same way, I just don’t think there ever needs to be an end to Moore’s.”
And Hanke intends to keep the pies just as they were. She’s been working with former owner Gregg Lucas and his daughter, Jennifer Williams, to learn the recipes, techniques, and equipment. The recipes originated in Chicago and have been used at the shop since it opened in 1946, even after the business was purchased by different owners throughout the years.
The only change Hanke intends to make, she said, is the addition of a bakery to bake special occasion cakes.
As for her help, she hopes to use a model similar to Lucas’: family first. Lucas purchased the business in 2006 to give his children a place to work, and they worked there for many years. His daughter, Williams, managed the business until it closed on Sept. 23.
Hanke has eight children, and her own daughter will be the manager. Her father will handle the advertising and commercial accounts, and the rest of the family, she said, will be involved in different ways as the business get up and running.
The new pie shop owner said she's always dreamed of owning her own bakery to make commercial cakes. So, when she heard Moore's was closing, she thought it would be a great opportunity to step in to make her dream a reality while keeping a Kokomo legacy alive.
The pie shop long has been a Kokomo staple. When it opened in the ‘40s, back before grocery stores carried pies, the holiday seasons would draw out crowds so large that police officers would help with crowd control.
Hanke is no stranger to being a small business owner. She also owns two flea markets, and she's looking forward to adding Moore's Pie Shop to her resume.
As word has spread that the pie shop will reopen, Hanke said the community response has been great.
“People are really excited about it. I posted about it on Facebook, and it got more than 2,000 shares,” Hanke said.
While Hanke anticipates reopening later this week, she said an exact date will be posted on the Moore’s Pie Shop Facebook page once it has been decided.
Moore's Pie Shop is located at 115 W. Elm St.
November 03, 2020 at 08:00PM
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Moore's Pie Shop to reopen with new owners - Kokomo Perspective
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