By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Pie Shoppe and 1772 Rooftop on Main will soon be open to the public.
Grand openings are planned for the coming week, with the opening for The Pie Shoppe planned for August 22 from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and the opening of 1772 Rooftop on Main planned for August 28.
Both businesses are located in the same building as the Fincastle Café, which opened in May 2019. All three are part of The Woodsdale Group, which is owned by Erryn and Virginia Barkett.
“It’s finally coming to fruition,” Virginia said. “It took longer than we anticipated.”
She explained that the building, which used to be a pharmacy, was refurbished. Special care went into the process to preserve as much of the look of the building as possible, including the use of the original ceiling, window beams and trim. Plaster was also removed from the interior walls to allow the brick walls to be seen. “We tried to showcase the original building,” she said. “Fincastle is an historic town. We love the history that is here. We wanted to celebrate it and show the beauty of the original building.”
A year ago, Virginia started selling pies out of the Fincastle Café. “Having a storefront will help the business. It’s going to provide people a place to come and dine,” she said. Homestead Creamery and homemade ice cream will also be offered at The Pie Shoppe. “We want to be a place where people want to come. We want them to visit, relax and hangout.”
1772 Rooftop on Main will serve alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and cocktails) and a tapas menu. The custom beverages, which are named after historical figures that are significant to the area, were developed in partnership with a mixologist. “It’s been fun studying the history and coming up with the names,” she said. “Our little town has played a significant role in history. 1772 Rooftop on Main is a way of honoring the history of our town.”
Virginia explained that launching two businesses during the midst of a global pandemic has complicated things to an extent. In addition to slowing down construction, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for her to find certain ingredients for her products. “Things are getting back to normal a little more now,” she said.
Considering that 1772 Rooftop on Main is an outdoors venue, she hopes that people will be able to enjoy the food and drinks without fear of contracting the virus. She added that fewer seats will be on the rooftop for the time being.
Currently, six individuals work at the Fincastle Café. An additional two or three employees will be added to work at The Pie Shoppe. Six employees will be hired to work at 1772 Rooftop on Main.
“The community has been patient, encouraging and enthusiastic. It’s exciting to finally be able to bring The Pie Shoppe and 1772 Rooftop on Main to the community,” Virginia said. She added that she is enjoying working with her family to get the businesses up and running. Her son, Will, will be the chef for 1772 Rooftop on Main. “We want to be a destination. We want to help make Fincastle a destination.”
Following August 22, The Pie Shoppe will be open Monday through Saturday.
