It’s the end of the road for Greenville-based Mary of Puddin Hill, a bakery known for its 4 lb. Texas pecan fruitcakes made with spices, raisins, candied peels and citron
Owner Ken Bain blames economic factors and a downturn in traffic flow to his retail store due to heavy construction on Interstate 30.
Days after the storied company announced plans to close its retail and mail-order operation Saturday, catalog and mail-orders have shot through the roof.
“Everything has gone crazy since the announcement! We did a month’s worth of business in two days,” Bain said.
A hundred students from McKinney are going to the bakery in Hunt County today to make chocolate and 1500 fans will make the pilgrimage to buy up as much sweet, fruity product as possible Saturday, May 21 (the stores last day).
People simply don’t want to see Mary of Puddin Hill shutter.
“We’re going to do everything we can. Meantime, we have had numerous calls from people who want to help keep us open,” Bain said. “It’s really touching to see how this company has touched people in the last sixty or seventy years. "
For now Bain has to re-hired holiday staff to meet the demand brought on by the store’s closing.
Place a last minute order here.
More:
Read “A Short History of Fruitcake” from The Village VOICE here.
Check out this Drunken Fruit Cake recipe from Southern Grace Gourmet.
