Original Pie Shoppe near Ligonier reopened after minor morning fire

Fans of the iconic Original Pie Shoppe in Ligonier Township don’t have to worry about feeding their sweet tooth after a minor oven fire temporarily closed the bakery early Friday.

As soon as fire trucks cleared the parking lot of the popular 73-year-old bake shop at 1379 Route 30 in the village of Laughlintown just before 9 a.m., the shop reopened.

“Yes, they’re reopening this morning. The fire was in an isolated area and shouldn’t cause any problem,” said Waterford Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Kromel.

No injuries were reported in the blaze that was called in by a store employee just after 5:30 a.m.

The fire was reported under control shortly after 6 a.m.

“An employee was using that particular oven cooking pizzas for the day and noticed the fire and called it in,” Kromel said.

The fire spread through a vent into to the roof and a wall, he said. A large industrial-sized vent for the oven where the blaze started was removed.

Ligonier area firefighters still working to extinguish fire at Original Pie Shoppe in Laughlintown Friday. pic.twitter.com/uRGjSRWRCB

— Paul Peirce (@ppeirce_trib) October 2, 2020

“About two minutes after we arrived on scene, the fire broke through the roof and around the vent,” Kromel said.

He said firefighters quickly doused the fire using water and then using a wet chemical fire retardant.

Members of the Thomas Columbus family who own the bakery were not on scene and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Kromel said the bakery is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.

“My brother, David, stops here every day to eat lunch,” Kromel said.

In 2019, Taste of Home magazine highlighted the bakery-deli among its “hidden-gem restaurants” nationwide labeling it a Pennsylvania sweet spot for its breads, cakes, donuts, gobs, pies and other pastries sold there.