Construction is under way on a new restaurant in Eureka that will be different from any others in town. The new eatery will feature flaky, fried pies of all types. The fruit and nut pies come in many flavors, including pineapple, pecan, peach, apricot, apple, blackberry and cherry.

“All of our fruit pies can be made sugar free,” said Agnes Wong, a Wildwood resident who is part owner of the shop.

In addition to fruit and nut fillings, they have cream pies made in lemon, vanilla, coconut and chocolate flavors. Customers can fold in any fruits or nuts into a cream filling to customize their pie. 

The restaurant will have pies for breakfast, including sausage, egg and cheese and bacon, egg and cheese. For lunch or dinner, the various pies include the varieties of pizza, Tex-Mex, chicken and vegetables, beef and vegetables, spinach and mushroom, broccoli and chicken, and a specialty pie called “comfort food.” This pie has Polish sausage and potatoes in a light cheese sauce.  

“All of these pies can be made in just four minutes,” said Wong. "So this is a good way to get a quick meal at an affordable price."  

Wong grew up in the restaurant business, but she has been a tax accountant for the last 25 years. “This is the first Fried Pie shop in Missouri. My partner and I are franchising the shops all through the state.”

The franchise started in 2009 with the first restaurant in Davis, OK. There are now 11 shops, with seven in Texas and two in Arkansas.

“One of these pies is a meal in itself. Most of the pies cost $3 to $4. They’re very filling,” Wong said.

The new eatery will have enough seating for around 40 people and they will offer carry-out as well. "We want to have a homey feel at the new shop," said Michael Wilkes, a co-owner of the new venture. "Fried pies are very much a Southern tradition, and we think our pies taste just like the ones grandma used to make."  

Eureka resident Jacob Wolf is the manager of the new restaurant, and he is looking forward to the store opening. He has been training in some of the other locations throughout the country. "I know that our menu will be a crowd-pleaser," said Wolf. "Everything is made fresh daily, never frozen." 

Nancy Fulton, the "fried pie lady," is the founder of this chain of restaurants. In 1990, she decided to use her grandmother's fried pie recipe as a new concept in dining. 

The Eureka Fried Pies shop is being built in the former 7-Eleven convenient store location at the intersection of Central and East Fifth Streets. Their hours will be Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. They will be open until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday, their hours will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.