EAST VILLAGE — Hoosier Mama Pie Co, will feel much less cramped now that the tiny yet mighty East Village mainstay has expanded into a neighboring storefront, added more seats and an espresso bar.
The larger digs — first reported by Eater — debuted at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Hoosier Mama Pie Company's original front door remains at 1618 W. Chicago Ave., and though there is a doorway in the just-opened adjacent storefront, that door is locked and a sign advises pie eaters to go one door west to get inside.
Craig Siegelin, pie chef Paula Haney's husband and Hoosier Mama's co-owner, said they've been describing the expansion as, "We went from tiny to small."
The space next door was previously used for Hoosier Mama Pie Company's storage. Long prior to that, it had been a convenient store, Siegelin said.
Now with the addition, there is an additional window booth for the lucky few who manage to snag it, plus seats at stools along a new coffee and espresso counter.
Espresso service will launch on Tuesday, with drinks available from opening to 2 p.m.
The expansion also includes new menu offerings such as "throwback pinwheels" reminiscent of the kind from the now shuttered Maurice Lennell bakery — but bigger and without the red food dye.
A daily rotating selection of savory pies, such as chicken pot pie, will be announced on a new menu board hanging over the coffee bar.
In addition to serving up many varieties of pies, the Hoosier Mama Pie Company website also contains a treasure trove of calorie-free, pie-related musings.
"We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie," playwright David Mamet said, while astronomer Carl Sagan once said, "In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
Hoosier Mama Pie Co., 1618 W. Chicago Ave. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Ph: 312-243-4846.
The much bigger Hoosier Mama Pie Company. [Photos by DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
Counter at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
The pie case before the Saturday morning rush.
Expanded sitting area at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
Table at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
Pie case at Hoosier Mama Pie Company.
