It isn’t Thanksgiving in Houston without a long line of Houstonians waiting eagerly to pick up their order from a city classic: House of Pies. This Houston institution has been around for more than 50 years and is a destination for delicious pies and diner food. But, did you know the first House of Pies wasn’t located in Houston? Here’s how it became a city favorite.
The Start of House of Pies
Al Lapin Jr., the founder of IHOP, opened the first House of Pies location in California in 1965. As the restaurant franchise expanded across the country, the first Houston restaurant opened in 1967 on Kirby Drive. A few months later, the Westheimer location opened. Back then, when the franchise was getting started, the menu was much smaller, and the restaurant usually closed around midnight during the week.
But, the business wasn’t thriving. To fix this, the restaurant started serving traditional diner food, and the hours were extended to 24 hours. Then, legal trouble began for the House of Pies’ parent company, International Industries Incorporated. So, in the 1970s, they decided to sell the House of Pies locations off. Eventually, the Ganim family took over ownership of the restaurant in the 1980s.
House of Pies Becomes a Houston Staple
As the years passed, House of Pies became known for its one-of-a-kind pies like the Bayou Goo and the Texas Pecan Fudge. Since House of Pies was open for 24 hours, many Houstonians used it as a late night hang-out spot, including college students and club-goers. It was at the diner where a group of engineers from Texas Instruments came up with the concept for the first personal transportable computer, sketching out designs while noshing at the restaurant in the 1980s. A group of them went onto start Compaq Computers.
House of Pies now has six locations in Greater Houston, including their newest spots in Katy and Cypress. Some locations are still open for 24 hours, so you can satisfy those late-night cravings. You can’t order ahead for Thanksgiving, but standing in line before the holiday is a part of a Houstonian’s rite of passage, so buckle up! 🥧
