A following for pies

ROYAL CITY — Ronna Woodward is well known around Royal City for her pies.

A resident of the city for 16 years, she worked as baker at an area restaurant for 14 years.

"I had quite a following at the restaurant," she said.

So when the restaurant changed owners, Woodward decided it was time to open her own business.

Pies by Ronna opened at 310 Camelia St. N.E., in Royal City on April 19.

"A lot of help from family and friends," Woodward said.

The business offers a variety of fruit pies, specialty pies, muffins, cinnamon and dinner rolls.

Originally from Olympia, Woodward first moved to Royal City roughly 17 years ago.

"Married a cowboy," she explained.

She and her husband of 16 years, Jody, have one daughter, 15-year-old Page.

"I thought it would be a great idea," Page said.

Woodward has been making pies for 14 years. Her mother was a good cook too, she noted.

"I've always baked, I love it," she said. "It's relaxing."

She's quite happy with the way her business is presently set up.

"I want to be able to have my own business but yet do things with my family," she said. "It is hard to balance a full-time job and have time for family, but the reason my hours are the way they are is so I can do all of (Page's) sports games, go watch them."

Page participates in three sports — volleyball, basketball and softball.

The majority of the business is custom orders, and Woodward said she is willing to meet customers in the morning and at night by appointment.

"I've only had a couple slow days," she said. "I've been pretty busy."

Especially since she began offering her pies at the Columbia Basin Farmers' Market in June. And her following from the restaurant is beginning to find her, she said. Several restaurants are buying her pies as well.

She also tries to have a few things on hand for people who walk in, estimating a recent day drew in a dozen walk-ins.

"The community has been a great support, and my family is always here helping me," she said.

Some organizations have begun to meet at her location as well.

Woodward planned to have signs to put on State Route 26 outside the town, in order to capture the traffic coming from the coast to Pullman.

"I'm really busy at holiday times," she said.

Woodward lists apple, strawberry rhubarb and blackberry as the most popular pie flavors. Blackberry is her own personal favorite, while Page prefers peach.

"It's really good," Page said. "The filling is awesome."

How many pies Woodward makes depends on how many orders she receives.

"Toward the end of the week, it's 30, 40 a day," she said.

By making old-fashioned pie from scratch for custom orders, Woodward believes she's doing something not many people do anymore. "They always ask me, 'Don't you get tired of it?'" she said. "But if I'm away from it for a couple days, I miss it."

For more information, call 509-346-2221. Pies by Ronna is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.