Bayou Eats | Not Just Pie

article by Vanelis Rivera
styling by Kate Ashley
photography by Kelly Moore Clark

A distinctly recognizable sign now towers over 1611 N. 18th Street in Monroe, Louisiana. Its unmistakable royal blue, vintage typography reads the name of a long-awaited local staple—Not Just Pie. After a 30-minute fire halted their operations in October 2022, a loyal customer base spiritedly awaited its resurgence. Though it wasn’t always in the plans, a nudge from founder and co-owner Christy Stone turned the tide for the family-owned restaurant. Her son J. Walter Stone, co-owner and operator, led the way. At last, in February 2024, the new location was dine-in ready, complete with design accents from the previous location. If good things come in threes, then this restaurant’s third adventure is sure to set one’s heart and stomach on. 

In 1985, Christy was working at a welfare office when a colleague approached her with the idea of opening up a “pie shop in the mall.” Christy was intrigued and looking forward to combining her degree in home economics with her colleague’s marketing degree. The pair also combined dessert recipes. “She had a cream pie recipe. I had my mother’s pie crust recipe. And we just started developing our recipes,” says Christy, also informing that they began with pies, cakes, and soft drinks. Unfortunately, a year into the business, Christy’s partner moved when her husband took a job out of state. That’s when Christy’s husband, Jimmy Stone, joined the business, evolving it by introducing some of his mother’s dessert recipes and what have become go-to savory items like sandwiches and po-boys. “I had great childhood memories as a kid out there,” recalls J. Walter, adding, “You know, back in the 80s, malls were busy.” Even then, J. Walter’s youthful merriment began when the mall was shutting down each day. In that stillness, he felt free to explore the emptied dining hall, run through the employees’ secret hallways, and even torment his parents’ employees. In 1990, the Stones moved to their second location at Forsythe Avenue. There, the couple curated a charming dine-in experience making the most of a cozy space. J. Walter’s formative years gravitated around this location, his mother recalling a tree house he built with his friends in the field behind the restaurant. “They had a plant in there. I mean, a fake one. They had a monogrammed pillow,” she reveals. J. Walter followed by reminiscing on all the yard ball games played and the “million golf balls” hit into the shrubbery. 

As a high school student, J. Walter officially began his baking career. He’d leave school around 3 PM, arrive at the restaurant, and make, roll, and lattice pie crust until the restaurant closed around 7 PM. “That was my job for years,” he says, admitting that he didn’t fully appreciate his after-school gig until much later. As his skills improved, so did his occupational pride, and by the time “college hit,” he was a full-time employee. He began working the lunch shift and was moved to the front of the house, finding that he enjoyed interacting with customers. After graduation, he said goodbye to the white and blue checkered tiles, leaving for what he considered “a real job.” It didn’t take long for him to learn that “the grass wasn’t much greener on the other side.” As a result, he went back to his second home. “Now I’m in my 40s. Somehow or another, I’ve become an owner, and I never would have thought of this,” he says. 

Before the restaurant fire, the Stones were contending with the devastating blow caused by the dine-in restrictions in effect during the 2020 pandemic. J. Walter confesses, “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I would rather 700 fires than go through that again.” Like many of us, during the early days of the pandemic, he remained skeptical and a little reluctant to turn away anyone from his business, despite Governor Edwards’ mandate. He admits he was being “a little rebel kind of guy.” The day after the mandate, he was ready for customers but nobody came to dine in. “It scared me to death,” he says. While the restaurant adapted to curbside service, J. Walter struggled to cope with the unknown. Even when the state began moving away from pandemic restrictions, the restaurant experienced food delivery delays. By October of 2022, it seemed like all was on track again. J. Walter had just stocked up ingredients for the holiday rush and braced himself for the busiest time of the year. “We had the most inventory ever,” he admits. Then, the fire. 

After the unexpected event, the Stones were naturally in shock. But in the back of J. Walter’s mind sounds of relief were ringing. “Thanksgiving and Christmas, I would always whine and complain,” he admits. “I’m sitting here working myself to death, and everybody else is having the time of their lives.” He had spent far too many Christmas Eve nights baking and prepping until early morning. The unexpected pause held the promise of some welcome downtime. It wasn’t just J. Walter. That December, two days before Christmas Eve, he walked into his parents’ home unannounced, finding them both “still in their pajamas, sitting by the fireplace, sipping eggnog out of these fancy glasses that they’ve never used before out of the 49 years that they’ve been married.” But by New Year, his mother approached him with another tone. “Look, we can’t go out like this,” she said. His choice was obvious, especially after thinking back at the struggles he witnessed his parents endure. On his mind were all the Christmas nights she would “work her tail off” only to come home, crash, and wake up to finish wrapping presents. He wasn’t afraid of returning to the grind. So he told his mother, “Yes ma’am.”

When considering a new location, the Stones wanted to prioritize a much larger kitchen, the possibility of improved curb appeal, and more parking spaces. All the while, they intended to provide customers with a similar dining experience they had long cherished at the Forsythe location. While their devoted customers stayed tuned in, the Stones employed Dark Construction to revive their widely adored mom-and-pop feel. The result hit the mark and then some. From the storefront windows, customers can easily view the vivid blue of the restaurant’s signature wallpaper, which had long been discontinued and had to be specially ordered. J. Walter’s sister called it, “Bluetiful!” Familiar round wooden tables topped with white tablecloths and glass tabletops are carefully assorted atop the expected checkered tile flooring. To match the wholesome and sentimental design, the ceiling is lined with Stratford tiles, Hunter fans are decked out with Tiffany-style, stained glass mounts, and the walls are decorated with various pictures and paintings, some even created by customers. Expect the leisurely sounds of Jimmy Buffett to be playing over the speakers while customers gravitate toward the most popular area of the new space—the pie display counter!

The last time the Not Just Pie menu changed was sometime during the mid-2000s when J. Walter added his grandfather’s chili, first as a seasonal addition, then permanently. Currently, the menu boasts close to fourteen pies, in addition to other sweets such as carrot cake, chocolate sheet cake, and cheesecake with toppings on request. While the banana caramel pie is the restaurant’s top seller, J. Walter’s favorite pie is a flavor he rarely craves, the coconut cream pie. “Anything with the cream,” he immediately adds. Here, he refers to a rich pudding-like cream made from sugar, flour, cornstarch, a little bit of salt, milk, egg yolks, butter, and the key ingredient, pure vanilla extract. “That is the thing. It’s so good and makes the whole entire kitchen smell so good,” he says. Thick and rich, you can taste this indulgent treat in the blueberry, chocolate, banana cream, strawberry banana cream, Boston cream, and peach (seasonal) pie. Of course, customers can’t go wrong with the chocolate meringue pie, featuring a skill it took J. Walter “forever to learn.” He still considers the task of separating egg whites challenging, though his mother has long been a master, occasionally referred to as Mrs. Meringue. “I will say she has separated over a billion eggs. I’ll put money on that.”

The restaurant’s perfectly flaky crust isn’t just for sweet pies. The chicken pot pies are noteworthy items whose carefully latticed tops maintain their own kind of charm, not to mention—they are delicious! Lunch is the restaurant’s busiest time thanks to a savory menu worth its hype. The po-boys are served on Gambino’s French bread and customers can choose from ham and cheese, turkey, or roast beef with gravy. Several sandwiches are listed on the menu, and include the club, BLT, turkey with Swiss cheese and bacon, and chicken salad. The house specials include broccoli and cheese soup and specialty salads such as taco salad, chicken salad “salad,” and chef’s salad. It should go without saying that any meal goes with any slice of pie.

“My parents mean a whole lot to me,” says J. Walter, emphasizing the extent to which Not Just Pie is family-centered. Most of the staff consists of family and friends, and those that are not, are treated like family. As far as their customers, the Stones learned the extent of their establishment’s impact on the community after the fire. Overnight, the outreach was overwhelming, something the family will never forget and always cherish. It may have taken the Stones a while to reestablish what has become a legacy, but without a doubt, it was worth the wait.