Woodruff’s Café & Pie Shop first opened in Monroe, Virginia by Mary Woodruff and her husband James in 1952 when there were very few Black-owned businesses in the country. Now Mary is 103-years old and is still hands-on in running the family business!
The married couple started the café downstairs in the apartment that they were living in. The business kept going strong until they had to briefly close it after 30 years in 1982.
Their daughter, Angela Scott, thought it was a good idea to reopen the business to keep their family legacy alive. With her husband, she opened the café again in 1998, mostly selling sandwiches. However, it was a very hard time for the business as customers weren’t showing very much interest in their products.
“It was off the beaten path. It had been closed for so many years. There were days that we didn’t have a customer, maybe one or two,” Scott told WRCBTV. “But Mama just kept going, ‘Angie, you gotta have faith, it’s gonna be fine.’ I think if it hadn’t been for her, I probably would’ve closed.”
That’s when Scott decided to bring back the family’s staple recipe of pies. Ever since the sign for “Pie Shop” was put up outside the storefront, people started coming back for their variety of pies and other recipes. She is also grateful that her mother can still help run the business despite her old age.
For more information about Woodruff’s Café & Pie Shop, visit their location at 3297 Elon Road, Monroe, Virginia 24574 or order online at www.woodruffspieshop.com
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