It
all began in 1956 when Betty's father Aleck built a fish shack by
the Stewart River on Highway 61. Betty thought
it would be a good idea to have some goodies for the fishermen when
they stopped in, so she started making donuts and coffee for them
to enjoy.
Well, one thing led to another and Betty began selling hamburgers
and hot dogs. Customers didn't really like looking at
dead fish while they
were eating, so in 1958 Betty turned the old fish stand into a
cafe that she named "Betty's Cafe". She also added pies to her menu.
Eventually Betty expanded the café by adding a lunch counter
and more seating, of course the pie selection expanded too. People
were now beginning to make it a regular stop on their way to cabins
and resorts along the North Shore.
In 1974, after a few more expansions and decorating changes, and
with more people stopping for a slice of her famous pie, Betty
decided
to
change the
name to "Betty's Pies". In 1984 after making
thousands of pies and attracting customers from all over the world,
creating a tourist destination of sorts,
Betty sold the café and retired.
Betty's Pies continued to grow in popularity and the atmosphere
was changed to the blue and white theme that you see today. In
1977, when news
came that Highway 61 was going to be expanded and the old restaurant
needed
to be moved or rebuilt, the famous café was sold again
in 1997 to the current owners, Carl Ehlenz and Martha Sieber.
The new building was opened May of 2000 bringing with it much
of the atmosphere of the old building, which was torn down in
the
spring of
2002.
The world famous pies have since returned to the original
recipes with help from Betty herself. During the summer months
approximately
300 fresh pies are made each and every day. Along with the mouth
watering pies, Betty's now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner
including pasties,
trout, walleye, homemade soups and of course our
famous homemade rye bread.
So relax and enjoy a meal along with a slice of our famous pie
and look around because you may catch a glimpse of Betty herself
as she
stops in on a regular basis to visit us.
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