July 5, 2017 at 4:26 p.m.
Joe's Pasty Shop reopens after fire
Joe's Pasty Shop reopens after fire
By Kayla Thomason-
Joe's Pasty Shop reopened June 21, less than 10 months after the business was badly damaged by fire Sept. 10. 2016.
The pasties are back, but there have been some significant changes made to the business model. It is no longer a restaurant. Owners Jessica and Larry Lapachin are instead selling only frozen pasties for customers to cook at home.
"We hope to have more of a balance with our work and home life," said Jessica. "We have given a lot of our time to our business over the last 13 years. By ending the restaurant part and focusing on the retail frozen-to-go part - which was 75 percent of our sales - we hope it still makes our customers happy as well as ourselves."
The business model may be slightly different, but the Lapachins say the pasties are just as delicious as ever.
"(It's) absolutely the same recipe," assured Lapachin. "Everything is still from scratch. Fresh vegetables, local grass-fed beef. We even render our own lard from local pork. We do that to avoid hydrogenated oils in our pasty crust and it's really what makes our pasty crust so unique."
Right now they are focusing on their signature pasties, but will eventually bring back seasonal favorites.
Lapachin is pleased to be serving customers again after a long layoff.
"It feels really great to reconnect with all of our customers," she said. "Our kitchen space has really expanded and it makes all the prep work much more enjoyable too."
Following the fire, the shop was gutted down to the studs and rebuilt with new electrical and plumbing. All the equipment had to be replaced, including coolers and freezers.
The Lapachins almost didn't reopen the shop, but the community's continued support prompted them to bring back the pasties.
"This community's support is what brought us back," Lapachin said. "We thought about moving on and going back to a 40-hour work week jobs for someone else but knew we would never get the same satisfaction and happiness that we do from making pasties for so many wonderful people."
The new hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A new system also allows customers to pick up their orders outside of the staffed hours.
Customers who preorder six or more pasties and buy via credit card can get a key code entry to unlock the front door and access the chest freezer where their marked package will be waiting. This service is available 24/7.
"The kitchen area is locked off entirely," Lapachin said. "This (key code entry) is new and we decided to try it out because a lot of our customers need later hours or weekend hours. We've used keyless entry systems in places we've stayed at like bed-and-breakfasts. It's really a neat system."
Cameras are in place for security, and the Lapachins can communicate with customers through the camera, should customers have trouble. There is audio and the Lapachins have the feed live on their phones and can lock and unlock the door remotely.
The demand for Joe's Pasty Shop pasties is high, and the owners are encouraging preordering, especially for those who would like six or more, to ensure they can get what they'd like. The Lapachins are also trying to have a surplus for walk-ins.
People can submit their orders and desired pick up time to [email protected] or call (715) 369-1224.
Cash or check is quickest, and credit cards can be processed during staffed pick-up times or by telephone if using a keyless entry.
Online ordering may be available in the future.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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