The Hubig’s Pies bakery, a New Orleans icon, was destroyed in a fire July 27. The bakery sat on Dauphine Street in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood. Fire department officials said the blaze began in the center of the building, “in an area called the fry room, and spread quickly.” Thirty-two fire trucks responded to the blaze.

Charles Parent, the fire chief, recalled in an interview with the television station WDSU that the company gave unsold pies to firefighters and police officers in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, and so they felt the loss keenly. “Our guys put this out with their tears,” he said.

No one was injured in the fire, and that was the most important thing, said Lamar Bowman, the company’s president. Bowman said he had received calls of condolence and support from across the nation, and he pledged that this latest setback would not be the end of Hubig’s.

“We made it back from Katrina, so it’s our intention to rebuild and come back from this also,” he said. “We’ll start from the beginning and make it bigger and better.”

The bakery’s website posted the following comments for its fans:

 

“On behalf of the Hubig's Pies family we would like to thank everyone for all of the love and support we have received throughout the years and during this difficult time. The abundant amount of thoughts, prayers, and strength that is being sent our way during this time is much appreciated. We are blessed to be part of such a resilient community and we send our immense gratitude to all of the first responders who put this out with their tears. We will continue to update you on our progress. "REBUILD RESTORE REHUBIG'S, WE WILL NOT LOSE OUR FLAVOR!"
With Love, The Bowman and Ramsey Families.

 

The Simon Hubig Pie Company was founded in Ft. Worth, TX at the start of World War I by master baker Hubig. One of several plants in his southeastern chain, the New Orleans bakery opened in 1922 in its current Bywater location.  Hubig's chain faltered during the Depression and in the end, only the New Orleans location survived. The Bowman and Ramsey families are in their second generations of owner and operators, with a third ready to take the helm.

Located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans just east of the historic French Quarter, the Simon Hubig Pie Company bakes all of their products daily, as in Hubig's original plant. Fresh, local ingredients are used. And "Savory Simon" is memorialized in the company logo.