Armida Ortega started baking when she was 12. The year was 1956 and the first thing she made was a cake for her family. Simple, spongy cakes eventually turned into an array of sugar-coated and flaky confections, and now, at 74-years-old, Ortega is making some of the best pies in the city.
Ortega launched Kessler Pie Co. out of the kitchen of her Oak Cliff home in November 2015. The baker, along with her daughters and business partners, Miriam Ortega and Deborah Cano, began cooking in a larger kitchen at 418 N. Tyler Street in Oak Cliff in November 2016—their pies have been available through their website.
Now, the women are opening a pop-up in Victory Park.
According to the press release:
The Oak Cliff based, family-owned business was awarded the three-month pop-up after beating four other female founders in a pitch competition event produced by NextSeed, a community-focused financing and investment platform for small businesses based in Houston.
Kessler Pie Co. kicks off a summer of food and beverage openings at Victory Park as a part of the district’s redevelopment. Openings in the coming months include Imoto, an Asian kitchen and bar from Kent & Tracy Rathbun; two unique concepts by Rebees, led by local entrepreneur Tristan Simon; a flagship Mesero; wine bar Burgundy Swine; and Popbar.
The shop is located at 2404 Victory Park Ln. and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. through the end of August.
