What started as a simple Thanksgiving tradition has turned into a full-year operation for local piemaker Megan Hopfer, owner of Megpies.
Megan has been baking since she was a little girl, working with her mom, grandma and aunties. She said several years ago, she used to just make pies for family and friends around Thanksgiving. But after she got a cottage food license, she started making pies for friends of friends and brought a booth to the Idaho Falls Farmer’s Market.
Eventually, she licensed a food trailer, and she was able to expand her customer base. Then the opportunity to buy a quaint yellow cottage on 1st Street fell in her lap. It’s now where Megpies calls home.
“We love this little space,” she said. We think it’s the cutest little cottage to come and have a slice of quiche, pie, treat or cup of coffee.”
Megan called piemaking something of a lost art. She said that while many places in town offer sweet treats like cookies or cupcakes, few specialize in pie.
Megpies has a rotating assortment of pie flavors. She usually has between four and six sweet pie options and several savory options such as quiche. Every other Tuesday, the flavors are switched except key lime pie — her most popular flavor.
Customers can buy whole pies or individual slices. Personal-sized pies called cutie pies are also offered at the Idaho Falls Farmer’s Market.
Megpies also offers gluten-free options and snacks such as brownies, cookies or zucchini bread. And customers can wash their pie down with coffee, lattes, espressos, teas or cold drinks.
Megan said she is currently working on a website with a full list of pies she can make, but her Facebook or Instagram page gives a good idea of the options. She said she loves to talk to people about their favorite pies and see if she’s ever made it. If not, she’d love to give it a try.
“I pretty much can attempt to make any kind of pie,” she said.
Megan said her favorite pie depends on the season. A crisp apple pie in the fall is hard to beat. Wintertime cream pies get around the need for seasonal fruit. And in the summer, a beautiful, fresh peach pie is “fire.”
Megpies is currently going on two years of business in the cottage and is finishing up its third year selling pies at the farmer’s market. Megan said she still looks forward to the market every Saturday.
“We have a lot of regulars that come out every week to see what we have,” she said. “We rotate the flavors at the farmer’s market every week as well, so people are excited to come and see ‘what do you have this week? Is it my favorite?'”
Megan said every week in the bakery is different. As a small-batch baker, sometimes she works around the clock to keep her pie inventory fresh.
“I’m constantly here baking fresh things for people, sometimes in the middle of the night, sometimes in the middle of the day,” she said.
“It’s worth it because we love it,” she said. “And we hope to continue doing it for a long time.”
With Thanksgiving feasts just around the corner, Megan said anyone who wants to order a pie should do so sooner rather than later, as she reaches capacity fast. Orders can be placed at Megpies.net.
She said if your favorite pie isn’t listed on the form, talk to her about it. She’d love to make it.
For More Information
335 1st St, Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-398-3118
Hours
Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
