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Date: 8/22/2023
NORTHAMPTON — An eight-year staple on 17 Main St. will continue its journey in Florence under new ownership.
Florence Pie Bar, which first opened in 2015, will now belong to Danny McColgan and Isaac Weiner, the current owners of Familiars Coffee & Tea in Northampton, after Florence Pie Bar founder Maura Glennon decided to sell the business to the duo.
“I was very excited when this opportunity presented itself because Danny and Isaac have a clear understanding of the Florence Pie Bar brand within our community and beyond,” Glennon said in a statement. “I was interested in finding the best people to guide Florence Pie Bar’s continued growth, and it feels like a perfect fit for this special place that we built. Additionally, I feel very good about their interest in keeping our current staff and not making any significant changes right now.”
According to an announcement sent by representatives of McColgan and Weiner, the shop will maintain all of its bakery items and recipes, as McColgan and Weiner plan to work closely with Glennon and head baker Katy Beyer to ensure a smooth transition.
The bar’s menu typically rotates with seasonally-inspired fruit pies, cream pies, nut pies, quiche, meat pies and vegetarian pies.
Aside from maintaining these items, the new owners intend to also crossover a bit considering their background with Familiars.
“We are eager and excited to bring our espresso, coffee and beverage program up to Florence and hope to provide a wider variety of offerings to Pie Bar customers,” said McColgan. “We are also very excited at the possibility of serving Pie Bar bakery items at Familiars and hope to do that as soon as possible. We feel that both businesses will greatly benefit from one another.”
Glennon, a pianist and lifelong home-baker, established the Florence Pie Bar back in 2015 at the 17 Main St. location, which used to house The Frayer General Store. Glennon served as a professor of Music at Keene State College in New Hampshire for 17 years before opening the pie bar.
She has lived in Florence with her husband, photographer Justin Kimball, and their two children since 2001.
The pie bar quickly became a “cozy place” for homemade baked goods and they were celebrated in 2022 for their all-butter crusts, locally-sourced ingredients and distinctive recipes by earning a spot in Yankee Magazine’s list of “Best 5 New England Pie Shops” in 2022.
In a statement, McColgan and Weiner said they are both excited to continue the tradition of “building connections over pie and coffee.”
“We are so happy to expand up into Florence and can’t wait to become a part of the community there,” Weiner said. “Maura has created a phenomenal business, and we are humbled that she has entrusted us with it.”
Both businesses will maintain their identities and separate names through this process.
“While we have many exciting plans ahead, we plan to take things very slowly to see what works best in Florence,” Weiner said. “We are honored to be able to continue the legacy of the Pie Bar, and place immense value in the quality of the product, brand, and reputation of the bakery.”
Readers may visit the Florence Pie Bar website to learn more about the business: https://www.florencepiebar.com/about.