Before the sun rose, the line stretched out through the door outside the Pie & Sandwich Shop in the hatch.
“I walked the door at 6:04,” Travis Alford said more than an hour later. “I’m on my way, but it’s worth it!”
Hatch opened in Weatherford in 1935 and sold the fried pies that are lined up today.
“90 years is a crazy long time,” said regular customer Cara Sullivan. “When I heard that, I was like, ‘Ah, amazing!’ ”
“When I come to the door, they usually sit it by the time I get to the counter,” said regular customer Ralph Graf. The graph is one year older than the one in Hatch. “I’m 91!”
“History,” said Alford. “That’s why a lot of people are here. They want to gain a little more history before closing the door.”
On Saturday, February 15th, the Hatch Pie and Sandwich Shop will serve the final pie.
“It was my life, right? For example, my life revolves around this place, and that’s when I do something else,” owner Blair Nicole said. Her grandfather started a business. “This was a really difficult decision for me. I essentially raised my kids here. And I miss people. I love these people.”
In the crowded store on Friday, customers waited patiently for hours to get their pie.
“I was sad to hear them close, and I said, ‘Oh, I have to bring my little girl’,” Sullivan said, pointing to two-year-old Emma. “First pie, ever in her life!”
Business in 90 years is more than a good pie. It’s about good people.
“They’re so sweet, they’re good for me,” Graf said. “It’s like family.”
“I made a difference in their lives, and they show that it’s appreciation and it really hits me,” Blair Nicole said. “Thank you guys. I miss everything!”
Saturday is the last day of the Hatch Pie and Sandwich Shop at 145 College Park Drive in Weatherford. It opens at 6am and closes when the pie is gone.
