Elias Lehnert wanted to start his own legacy when he expanded his family’s fourth-generation pie jelly and cider business, Colorado Cherry Co., from northern Colorado to Denver. So last April, he rebranded his store on Tennyson Street as Legacy Pie Co.
“When we branched off into Denver, the Colorado Cherry Co. was a natural name to choose since it already had pretty good brand recognition in the Front Range,” said Lehnert, whose family owns stores in Lyons and Loveland. “But it felt like it was lacking the full picture of what we do. A lot of folks called us ‘Cherry Pie Co.’, and even staff was using that name.”
In February 2024, he’s planning to debut a second store at 300 E. Alameda Ave. in Washington Park under the Legacy Pie Co. name.
Colorado Cherry Co. got its start in 1929 in Lake Geneva, Wis., where Lehnert’s great grandma Katherine Lehnert began selling cherry pies and cider. His grandparents, Sunny and Monrico Lehnert, then moved the family business to northern Colorado, where they used cherries from the orchards that once grew in the area and ran a shop on the outskirts of Loveland in the summers.
Lehnert’s parents, Anthony and Kristi Lehnert, eventually bought the Loveland store, which is on the road to Rocky Mountain National Park, and another store in Lyons. They added a location at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park about eight years ago.
“We felt like four generations, that legacy and that idea was powerful, so we just wanted to add that to the name as well,” Lehnert said. “It was a hard decision, but my parents were super on board with the direction, and since we’re opening new shops, it felt like a good time to do it.”
Lehnert grew up working for the business and opened his first store in Denver at 4000 Tennyson St. in November 2020, selling pies out of a walk-up window during the COVID-19 pandemic. The store now has seats and serves coffee as well.
The new location will have a smaller footprint and focus primarily on take-out offerings. “We’re hoping to be selling pies by Pi Day (March 14),” Lehnert said.
“We have a lot of folks who drive up from south Denver, and we’re excited about growing the company, so when the opportunity came up in that complex, we thought it was a great time,” Lehnert added. “The demographics in Wash Park are comparable to Tennyson Street with all types of folks that like to treat themselves to some pie, and it’s a plus to have a parking lot now.”
Legacy Pie Co.’s busiest time of the year during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, with pumpkin pies selling like hotcakes. Savory pot pies are another big hit.
The pie shop will join a host of new operations in the Alameda Avenue shopping center, which is undergoing a total renovation. Leven Deli, which has a location in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, is also planning to open a supply store and production facility there.
