KATY, TX (Covering Katy News)—Proud Pie, Cinco Ranch's coffee shop and artisan pie bakery, locked its doors for the final time Monday night after nearly nine years on Mason Road near where it intersects with Westheimer Parkway.
Proud Pie is a Cinco Ranch institution known for its artisan pies, sandwiches, and locally roasted coffee.
News of the closure came in a Facebook post, which caused dozens of people to flock to the business, lining up across the front of the building and out to Mason Road to buy the remaining pies. Owner Scott Chapman decided to sell only whole pies, no slices, and his fans purchased every pie and goodie he had available.
In the Facebook post, Chapman said his business could not pay the rent, and sales taxes, so shuttering his storefront was the only option.
"I'm too stressed to talk about it right now," Chapman told Covering Katy News, as he stood outside saying goodbye to longtime customers. At the same time, his employees were inside selling whole pies to customers who wanted one last opportunity to enjoy a Proud Pie.
All the profits helped Chapman fund his employees' final paychecks.
Covering Katy, Dennis Spellman
Customer lined up to purchase the remaining pies at Katy's Proud Pie. Stock was sold out before every customer could purchase a pie.
Known for his significant social media presence, Chapman later posted a time-lapse video of customers buying pie on the final day the shop was open.
"We feel so loved by everyone who came to see us," he said in the post.
Proud Pie's posts received hundreds of comments, shares, and reactions, with many people thanking the business for its treats and expressing sadness at its closing.
The business hosted charitable events, including the annual Katy Pie Run, pie donations to the people of Uvalde after the 2022 school shooting, and continuous support for non-profits like Ballard House.
Eighteen former Proud Pie employees are seeking employment, and Chapman is asking that businesses with full or part-time openings consider hiring them.
Although Proud Pie's storefront is closed, Chapman may remain in business.
"I have offers from restaurant groups to produce our pies for them," he said.
Chapman's charitable work may also continue.
"There are great opportunities to be able to keep the Katy Pie Run going," Chapman said on Facebook. "We're just overwhelmed with the love."