According to permit details and trademarking documents, and confirmed by Pie and Provisions’ co-owner Elias Lehnert, the 93-year-old pie company wants to change its name sometime this fall or winter. Though its Denver location (4000 Tennyson St. Suite 100, Denver, CO 80212) and the overall menu will remain the same, the family-owned company has discussed the ways in which a certain scarlet fruit can be misleading to customers.
Lehnert told What Now Denver, “the ‘cherry’ in the name has caused some confusion, and that’s concerning for us because we offer so much more than just cherry pie…we’re just trying to figure out what’s best for the future. My great grandparents started the company, so there’s a lot of history there, and we also want to figure out how to honor that.”
Colorado Cherry Company was born in 1929 “at a small fruit stand outside of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin” after the family’s Great Grandmother Katherine became well-known for her homemade pies and cider. Fast forward to 1950, and the Lehnerts made their way to Loveland, Colorado – a “region known for [its] tart cherries.” Soon thereafter, the Colorado Cherry Company was born. After decades of success, the “Lehnert family open[ed] a shop by Estes Park, making the Cherry Co. a go-to stop for pie and cider on your way to Rocky Mountain National Park.” Then, in 2021, a few of the 4th generation Lehnerts moved to Denver where CCC – Pie and Provisions was born, “hoping to share all the goodness from Great Grandma’s recipes.”
Pie and Provisions offer an array of pies ranging from Classic Apple and Key Lime to Mushroom & Veggie and Buffalo Chicken. And, of course, they serve up a slew of tart cherry pies with an all-butter crust, gluten-free crust, and brown sugar butter streusel.
While Lehnert didn’t disclose any of the name or design changes that the family’s considering, he did confirm that they’ve trademarked one of their moniker options in order to “lock it down.”
