House of Pies

The Original House of Pies, generally referred to as House of Pies, is an American restaurant brand centered on family dining, coffee-shop service, and a broad dessert menu. The first restaurant opened in California around 1965 under Al Lapin Jr., a restaurant-industry entrepreneur associated with the development of early franchise systems and with brands including International House of Pancakes, Orange Julius, and Copper Penny Coffee Shops. House of Pies was created as part of the same mid-century expansion of accessible, standardized American restaurant concepts. The brand became particularly recognizable for its pie-focused menu and visual identity. Restaurants were associated with bright white buildings accented in pink, circular signs showing a house and the mathematical pi symbol, and the phrase “a unique coffee shop.” At its height, the chain offered more than 60 pie varieties and expanded substantially in Southern California. By 1971, it reportedly had 32 locations in the greater Los Angeles area. Houston also became an important market: two early restaurants on Kirby Drive and Westheimer Road remain among the best-known surviving locations, although company claims and local historical records differ on the precise year the Houston operation began. House of Pies experienced major corporate and legal changes during the 1970s. In 1971, eight franchisees brought a class-action antitrust lawsuit against International Industries, alleging price fixing and restrictions on supply sources. International Industries denied the allegations, but the dispute was eventually resolved privately. The parent company also faced financial difficulties. Lapin left his roles as chief executive and president in 1973 while remaining chairman, and later that year the company sold House of Pies and other restaurant businesses. The sale weakened the integrated chain structure and left franchisees to continue independently or close their restaurants. The national or large regional chain subsequently contracted sharply. By about 1980, the Los Feliz restaurant was reported to be the only remaining Los Angeles location operating under the House of Pies name, while Houston restaurants continued. The franchise system filed for bankruptcy in approximately 1986 and most locations closed. Independent operators nevertheless preserved the name, logo, recipes, and restaurant format. In the late 1980s, the Khalaf family acquired the Houston locations from Dave Herndon and continued operating six restaurants in the greater Houston area. A separate Los Angeles location also remained in operation. The surviving restaurants retain the brand’s traditional emphasis on made-for-diner desserts, with more than 40 pies and cakes offered at each Houston restaurant according to the company’s historical descriptions. The Bayou Goo pie is a signature item, combining sweet cream cheese, pecans, chocolate and vanilla custard, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and powdered sugar. The business has also promoted nationwide pie delivery, extending the brand beyond its physical restaurant footprint. House of Pies is now best understood as a small, legacy restaurant brand rather than a national chain. Its identity rests on regional continuity, retro coffee-shop design, long-running recipes, and cultural associations with Houston and Los Angeles. The brand has appeared or been referenced in entertainment, including the film Ciao! Manhattan, the television series Will & Grace, and the Los Angeles filming of No Strings Attached. A planned additional Los Angeles restaurant was discussed for 2022 but had been delayed according to the cited reference material.

House of Pies began in California around 1965, founded by Al Lapin Jr., whose wider restaurant activities included International House of Pancakes and other early franchise concepts. The brand was designed as a family-oriented coffee shop and restaurant with an unusually deep pie menu. Its restaurants developed a distinctive visual system: white buildings, pink trim, and circular signage containing a house motif and the pi symbol. This recognizable format helped House of Pies expand rapidly in Southern California, where the chain reportedly reached 32 locations in the greater Los Angeles area by 1971 and offered more than 60 varieties of pie. Houston became another important market. The Kirby Drive and Westheimer Road restaurants are among the historic surviving locations. House of Pies materials have associated the Houston opening with 1967, while local archival evidence cited in reference material places the opening of both early Houston sites in 1970. The discrepancy is therefore retained rather than resolved here. The chain’s growth was accompanied by conflict within its franchise system. In 1971, eight franchisees filed a class-action antitrust lawsuit against International Industries, alleging that the parent company fixed prices and constrained franchisees’ supply sources. International Industries denied the claims. The matter was ultimately settled privately. The parent organization also experienced financial strain. Lapin stepped down as chief executive and president in August 1973 but stayed on as chairman. Later that year, House of Pies and other restaurant operations were sold as the parent company attempted to address its financial problems. The sale fragmented the chain. Some franchisees continued under the House of Pies identity, while others closed. By 1980, Los Feliz was described as the only remaining Los Angeles restaurant using the name, although the Houston restaurants stayed active and expanded their importance. Around 1986, the franchise chain entered bankruptcy and most of its locations disappeared. The brand did not vanish entirely because independently owned restaurants retained the name, logo, and operating traditions. In the late 1980s, the Khalaf family acquired the Houston restaurants from Dave Herndon. Six greater Houston locations continued under that ownership and remained associated with the original recipes and pie-centered menu. The surviving Houston business became known for offering more than 40 pies and cakes, including Bayou Goo, a layered dessert built around sweet cream cheese, pecans, chocolate and vanilla custard, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and powdered sugar. The company has also offered nationwide pie delivery. A Los Angeles restaurant has continued to represent the brand on the West Coast. A proposed additional Los Angeles location was expected to open in 2022 but was delayed. The surviving House of Pies restaurants operate on a much smaller scale than the historical chain, with the brand’s modern appeal coming from regional loyalty, nostalgic architecture, traditional diner service, and long-standing dessert recipes. Its cultural visibility has been reinforced by appearances and references in film and television, including Ciao! Manhattan, Will & Grace, and No Strings Attached.

• 2010

  Los Angeles location appears in film production

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  The Los Angeles restaurant is used for scenes in No Strings Attached.

• 1988

  Khalaf family acquires Houston locations

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  The Khalaf family acquires the Houston restaurants from Dave Herndon and continues operating the regional group.

• 1986

  Franchise chain enters bankruptcy

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  The broader franchise operation files for bankruptcy and most locations close, although independent restaurants preserve the brand.

• 1973

  Parent company sells House of Pies

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  After financial difficulties and Lapin’s departure from executive leadership, House of Pies is sold with other restaurant businesses.

• 1971

  Southern California expansion peaks

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  The chain reportedly reaches 32 locations in the greater Los Angeles area and offers more than 60 pie varieties.

• 1971

  Franchisee antitrust lawsuit

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  Eight franchisees sue International Industries over alleged price fixing and supply restrictions; the dispute is later privately settled.

• 1965

  First House of Pies opens in California

  [1]House of Piesen.wikipedia.org

  Al Lapin Jr. launches the first House of Pies restaurant, establishing the brand’s pie-focused family-dining concept.

A heritage American family-dining and pie restaurant emphasizing extensive dessert choice, recognizable mid-century coffee-shop design, regional continuity, and original recipes.

• Desserts · 1965

  House pies

  The core product line is an extensive assortment of sweet pies served as diner desserts and available for takeaway. Historical descriptions cite more than 60 varieties at the chain’s peak, while the surviving Houston restaurants have been described as offering more than 40 pies and cakes. Recipes and variety are central to the brand’s identity.

• Signature dessert

  Bayou Goo pie

  Bayou Goo is a signature layered pie associated with the Houston restaurants. Its reported composition includes sweet cream cheese, crushed pecans, chocolate and vanilla custard, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and powdered sugar.

• Restaurant meals · 1965

  Diner and family-restaurant menu

  Alongside pies and cakes, House of Pies restaurants serve a conventional American family-dining menu, including meal items, breakfast-oriented offerings, coffee-shop fare, and beverages. The exact menu varies by independently operated location.

• Direct-to-consumer food

  Nationwide pie delivery

  The Houston operation has promoted shipping pies beyond its restaurant markets, allowing the brand’s dessert products to reach customers nationally without requiring a local dining room.

• 1971

  Franchisee antitrust allegations

  Eight House of Pies franchisees filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that International Industries engaged in price fixing and restricted approved supply sources. International Industries denied the allegations, and the dispute was later resolved through a private settlement.

  Source

Read more

• 1986

  Bankruptcy and contraction of the franchise networkOther

  Background

  The post-sale franchise structure had lost much of the scale and corporate integration of the earlier chain.

  Action taken

  The franchise chain filed for bankruptcy and most locations closed.

  Aftermath

  Independent restaurants in Los Angeles and Houston retained the House of Pies name and logo, allowing the brand to survive as a small regional restaurant business.

  Source

• 1973

  Sale of House of Pies by the parent companyM&A

  Background

  International Industries faced financial difficulties after a period of rapid restaurant expansion and franchise conflict.

  Action taken

  The parent company sold House of Pies and several other restaurant businesses, including Copper Penny Family Coffee Shops and Wil Wright’s Ice Cream Parlors.

  Aftermath

  The chain became fragmented, with franchisees choosing whether to continue independently or close. The number of locations subsequently declined sharply.

  Reported parent-company loss associated with the 1971 franchise dispute. $62 million loss reported for 1971 (1971)

  Source

1. 1House of Piesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2House of Pies official websitehouseofpies.com