What does it take to prepare 2,000 pies for Thanksgiving and another 1,000 just a few weeks later for the holidays? An incredible team, plenty of freezer space, and hundreds of baking hours. “Holiday production at Two Fat Cats is a pretty big lift, but we’ve been doing it for so long that it’s a well-oiled machine,” says Stacy Begin, the bakery’s owner. “We start in late September, when all of the pies are made and frozen unbaked. The first pies that are baked off are shipped nationwide, then the rest of the pies are brought back from our offsite freezer and we begin baking around the clock. The second wave goes to our wholesale customers, and then it’s an intense two to three days of baking, baking, baking to get everything ready for our local customers.” The annual undertaking is a huge team effort, and anyone who’s available—from retail workers to wholesale delivery drivers—jumps in to bake, box, and move pies.
Come Christmastime, the pressure shifts from the pie bakers to the morning bakers. “At Thanksgiving, everyone wants pies, but for Christmas they want a little of everything. It’s cookies, cakes, and bars—all those specialty treats that make the holidays really festive,” says Begin. “We have a bigger menu for Christmas, and our products are a lot more labor intensive.” Baked goods like decorated cookies and Two Fat Cats’ famous Yule Log cake are extra popular and require fine finishes. “You look forward to picking up a sticky toffee pudding or Yule Log every year," Begin says. "It becomes tradition."
Since its inception, the bakery has found its home in several Portland neighborhoods: on India Street, its current location in East Bayside, across the bridge in South Portland, and now a new spot in the West End. “We originally opened in South Portland to test the waters with our customer base, but it came to be the center of our operations while we got the East Bayside location on its feet,” says Begin. “We started looking at the West End thinking it would be our third location. When we took a beat to consider the entire business, we realized South Portland had served its purpose, so we decided to close that chapter and focus our energy on the future.” Begin, who had been thinking about opening a cafe for years, decided the new spot at the old Mercy Hospital would be a great place to try something different. “We’ve got the pastries, pies, and cakes we’re known for, but we also have sandwiches, soups, and salads to go, an espresso and coffee program, and a little market where people can grab the basics like eggs and milk.” The cafe/bakery hybrid is focusing on Two Fat Cats' Maine roots, sourcing ingredients that are traditional to Maine and New England whenever possible.
Two Fat Cats is committed to supporting the community that made it successful through the Baking Matters program, a nod to Begin’s previous career in nonprofits. “The neighborhood is a second home to us, and it’s important that we give back and help out where we can,” she says. “Because we’re a small business, we like to be creative and make a bigger ripple effect. We donate to the South Portland Food Pantry, run product drives with Maine Needs, and supply gift cards to fundraisers, and we also support grassroots organizations by raising public awareness,” Begin says, whether it’s by passing out brochures, putting a sticker on pie boxes, or opening the bakery to product drives and tabling.
When asked the secret ingredient to the bakery’s longevity, which Begin has owned and operated longer than its founders from Standard Baking Co., she chuckled. “I don’t know that there’s a secret formula. Some of it has to do with luck; some of it is our great crew. When we opened in 2005, the Portland food scene was just starting to bubble up, and the bakeries and restaurants that were part of that era had an opportunity to establish themselves in a more sustainable and patient way. We focus on quality, and we're constantly evolving, which really helps."
"At Thanksgiving everyone wants pies, but at Christmas it’s cookies, cakes, and bars—all those specialty treats that make the holidays really festive."
"Most of us who work here spend more time at the bakery than we do at home. The neighborhood is a second home to us, and it's important that we give back and help out where we can."