By Michael Perna Jr.
Contributing Writer
WORCESTER – A century later, people are still talking about the little pies made in Worcester. The Table Talk Pie Company was founded in 1924 by two immigrants from Greece, Angelo Cotsidas and Theodore Tonna. Like many others, they came to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their families.
The pair met while working at a bread-making bakery owned by another Greek immigrant. Soon, they decided to open their own bakery. They started out making bread but also made pies. According to the company’s website, the pies would be made by hand, baked overnight, then sold from horse-drawn wagons. The wagons travelled throughout the area, advertising the pies with the cry, “Fresh pies! Get your fresh pies here!”
Origin of name
There are two versions of how the name “Table Talk Pies” came about. The first is that the duo wanted to relate that they considered it important for a family to sit and talk around the kitchen table while enjoying a delicious slice of pie. The second story is based on information from the Tonna family—is that the name stems from Theodore Tonna’s initials: T. T.
The company grew steadily over the years. As business increased, so did the need for larger quarters. Initially, the business was located on Clayton Street in Worcester, then moved to Beacon Street. By 1942, it moved again, this time to the corner of Green and Washington Streets.
The popularity of Table Talk pies continued to grow. Eventually, two sizes were produced—a four-inch snack pie and a larger eight-inch version. A variety of flavors ensure that almost any preference could be accommodated: chocolate crème, peach, pumpkin, cherry, pecan, chocolate éclair, pineapple, lemon, banana crème, apple, and blueberry.
Ownership changes
The success of the company was not without some rough times. It was sold to the Beech-Nut Company in 1965, then changed owners a number of times before filing for bankruptcy. In 1985, Christo Cocaine (Theodore Tonna’s son-in-law), who had previously worked for the company, bought Table Talk out of bankruptcy and re-opened the business at the Green/Washington Street location in Worcester.
Under Cocaine’s leadership, the business thrived once again. A new pie-making facility was opened in Shrewsbury in 2015, followed by a 50,000 square foot facility in South Worcester. More recently, a state-of-the-art production facility was constructed at 58 Gardner Street, again in South Worcester.
A thriving business
The company has flourished. Table Talk pies are now sold in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other places. The snack size is the best-seller—in 2019 the company sold 240 million of its four-inch pies, along with 25 million of the eight-inch, nine-inch, and ten-inch varieties. The pies are also supplied (under a private label) to Wal-Mart stores throughout the country. Locally, the pies are carried by Market Basket stores and a wide variety of other markets and stores, including BJ’s, Shaw’s, Stop & Shop and Star Market.
A small Table Talk pie store was located for many years at 152 Green Street in Worcester, but it closed this January. The prices for the Table Talk pies make them extremely affordable and are a stark contrast to the high prices charged by many local stores and bakeries. The four-inch snack pies sell for 75 cents each with the larger eight-inch pies selling for $4 ($5 for a pecan pie).
What started out as a two-person operation selling hand-made pies from horse-drawn wagons has grown to a company where more than 300 people are employed full-time producing this Worcester-born treat.
RELATED CONTENT:
The chocolate chip cookie was created in a Whitman inn
Coney Island Hot Dogs has been a Worcester institution for more than a century
Necco’s sweet journey of creating classic candies began in Boston
