By Samantha Hearn
This week local pie makers Chad and Gary Collier officially opened their store in Cool Springs, bringing freshly baked pies from family recipes straight to Williamson County.
The secret family recipes come from Gary’s grandmother, Elsie, who he says always made the most delicious apple pies. One year during the holiday season, he asked her to write down the recipes and she refused, saying she didn’t learn from a recipe but from her mother teaching her how to make them in person.
“She said, ‘You need to see and feel the ingredients coming together,’” Gary said. “My dad learned from his mom and that’s the way I learned to make apple pies. When you make something often enough and you love to make it, you don’t need a piece of paper to tell you how.”
Gary’s son Chad has followed in his father’s footsteps and is making pies with him in the same tradition, without any preservatives and all by hand.
The father-son duo offers pies in three different sizes, and all of their pie pans are deep dish. The 6” small pie has four servings, great for a couple or even just one. The 9” large pie has eight to 10 servings and is the standard pie size, great for the whole family. The 11” extra large pie has 12 to 14 servings and is typically used at larger gatherings like weddings, corporate events, reunions, birthday parties, anniversaries and more.
Flavors of pies include Ghirardelli Chocolate, Chess, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Southern Pecan, Steeplechase Derby, Coconut Cream, Ghirardelli Chocolate Pecan and different flavors of fruits.
A few days a week, the pie business also makes an appearance at local farmer’s markets. On Tuesdays they are at the Franklin Farmers Market behind The Factory from 3 to 6:30 p.m. On Wednesdays they are at the East Nashville Market at 10th Ave and Russel Street from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. On Saturdays they are at the West Nashville Market at Richland Park at the corner of Charlotte and Murphy Road from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at Forest Hills UMC at Old Hickory Boulevard near Granny White Park from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
To get the freshest pie you desire, you can place an order through the store website and pick it up at the kitchen, at a local farmer’s market, or through delivery to your home or office in Brentwood, Cool Springs or Franklin.
In addition to offering pies for weddings, individuals or events, they are also now accepting Thanksgiving orders. While this week has been a soft opening and launch for Papa C Pies, there will be an official grand opening sometime in early December.
Papa C Pies is located behind Costco in Cool Springs at the corner of Seaboard Lane and Bakers Bridge Avenue. The address is 99 Seaboard Lane Suite 100 in Brentwood. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. To learn more or to make an order, visit www.papacpies.com.
Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at [email protected].
