ST. LOUIS — Imagine starting a baking business with one 25-pound bag of flour, a 25-pound bag of sugar and some potatoes. That's exactly how one pie shop in north St. Louis got its start 50 years ago, and this Thanksgiving, cranked out pies in the thousands.
"It’s hard work, but it’s easy for us, because we've been doing it for so long," said baker Florida Rhodes.
Country Girl's Pie Shop started on a corner off Union Boulevard in the Kingsway West neighborhood and the legacy continues with handmade treats every single day.
"My mother started it in 1968. She had a dream and a vision. This was her dream and vision. She used to work at a bakery, so she decided to work for herself," Rhodes said.
It was a labor of love for the founder, Eddie Mae Jones. Rhodes remembers spending long nights on the kitchen floor.
"To perfect the recipes and stuff, we would sleep down here on the floor all night to get the pies made," she recalled.
Grandma Jones made a sweet sacrifice that has left a mark on the neighborhood the pie shop has called home, even long after she passed away. The street outside her Country Girl's Pie Shop is named after her.
Michael Brown is one dedicated customer.
"Fantastic, excellent, mouth-watering. It’s a treasure of St. Louis you must come," he said.
It truly is a family business. Everyone in the kitchen is related. Derrick is Eddie Mae's grandson and mans the grills.
"Pies inside, barbeque outside," said Derrick as he worked the family grills.
While the name of the bakery suggests they only make pies, General Motors employees inspired a bigger menu.
"General Motors was up the street, and they came down here and asked her to start selling sandwiches and that’s how she started selling the famous cheeseburgers," Derrick explained.
Their sweet potato pie is what they're most known for, but they make a whole lot more than that.
"Apple, peach, cherry, lemon meringue and coconut cream," said Derrick.
They don't take reservations. It’s first come, first served.
And you can bet, this family will keep baking until there's nothing left.
"All day and all night. We work and work and work 'til it’s all gone," said Rhodes.
