June 2008Pies & Plates and Prepped & Ready begins a series of summer programs for kids, including Breakfast with a Princess, The Science of Gelato and Cooking up Fun.
Pies & Plates receives the Gold Plate Award from the Best Independent Restaurant Association.
May 2008 Pies & Plates launches Tidbits for Teen a web page for teens. Also plans Behind the Counter Latte Adventure for teens and other teen programs.
May 2008Pies & Plates celebrates it's 5th Anniversary with more than 23 special events including a coffee cupping, Tea 101, knife skills class, cake decorating, children's programs and more.
April 2008
Owner, Cindee Murphy serves as a delegate on trade mission trip to Italy.
April 2008
Pies & Plates suspends dinner service until fall in order to focus on business catering portion of business.
January 2008 Pies & Plates named Best Gourmet Foods in the 2007 Charlotte Sun Herald Readers' Choice Awards. The store also was a finalist for Best Wraps & Panini and Best Desserts.
January 2008
Prepped & Ready moves from downtown Punta Gorda to Punta Gorda Crossing Shopping
Center next to Pies & Plates to better serve its guests!
October 2007Pies & Plates switches from a breakfast/lunch format to a lunch/dinner format adding many new dinner specials, beer & wine and a Friday and Saturday night Chocolate Bar menu!
October 2007
Pies & Plates/Prepped & Ready is named Mid-Large Business of the Year by the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce at chamber banquet.
September 2007 Pies & Plates is named Small
Business of the Year by the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce chamber banquet. But the excitement didn't end there! Four hours later Dennis and Cindee welcomed their first grandbaby - Cody Lee Murphy!
June 2007Pies & Plates expands its shopping opportunity by creating an
ON-LINE STORE that includes over 70,000 cooking related items. Customers can connect by visiting www.piesandplates.com and clicking on the "Shop Now" button.
April 2007
Prepped & Ready launches "Anchors Away Entrées" for cruising enthusiasts! Great for boating or RVing!
February 2007
Kitchen Team, Tristin Murphy and David Schescowitz set new record serving 231 lunch orders in an average time of 1 minute and 20 seconds per order! That's order in, made and on the table with no mistakes!
January 2007 Pies & Plates takes over adjacent rental unit (computer store) and converts it to storage and office space in anticipation of future expansion of the store.
January 2007
Pies & Plates named Best Gourmet Foods in the 2006 Charlotte Sun Herald Readers' Choice Awards. The store also was a finalist for Best Gift Shop and Best Desserts.
December 2006Pies & Plates owner Cindee Murphy sponsors creation of new Web Site to promote retail shopping in Punta Gorda:
www.puntagordashopping.com.
November 2006Prepped & Ready program moved to historic downtown Punta Gorda.
November 2006
Just in time for the holidays, Pies & Plates sets up BYOB - "Build Your Own Basket" area in the store where guests can come in and design their own gift baskets. All items needed for basket making - baskets, shred, cellophane, ribbons, etc. are available!
August 2006
Pies & Plates launches a new program called "Prepped & Ready"! Prepped & Ready is an easy meal assembly program where guests prepare healthy entrées for their family in just minutes!
March 2006
Pies & Plates expands breakfast menu in attempt to lure morning customers! Adds Irish Oatmeal with Bananas and Cranberries, Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding, Hearty Skillet Scramble, Southwest Omelette, Asiago Sun Up Bagel Sandwich and much, much more!
January - March 2006
Pies & Plates owners purchase new property at intersection of Taylor Road and Hwy 41 and plan to build new home for Pies & Plates some time in the future.
January 2006
Pies & Plates is awarded prestigious
Special Achievement Award from Gourmet News, a national trade publication. Owners, Cindee and Dennis Murphy were honored at a special reception held in San Francisco, California.
January 2006
Pies & Plates is recognized as a finalist in the 2005 for Best Restaurant for a Cup of Coffee and Best Gourmet Store in the 2005 Charlotte Sun Herald Readers' Choice Awards.
October 2005
Pies & Plates participates in Dine For America sponsored by the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Restaurant proceeds and staff tips were donated to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
July 2005Pies & Plates hosts second cooking class for C.A.R.E. Auxiliary. This year, Chef Sherri Serrino elicited squeals from the audience when she held up a squid!
March 2005
Pies & Plates was shut down for a half a day by Charlotte County's Fire and EMS HAZMAT team while they checked granules found in a letter that was sent to Pies & Plates. The granules turned out to be table salt!
January 2005
Pies & Plates named Best Gourmet Foods in the 2004 Charlotte Sun Herald Readers' Choice Awards.
November 2004. Pies & Plates opens its "Sweet Shop" adding artisan Italian Gelato, chocolates and many, many more desserts to its menu!
September 2004
Pie & Plates re-opens after Hurricane Charley. It is amazing what a few missing windows and Cat 4 winds can do to the interior of a building. But, Pies & Plates owners and staff worked non-stop to get the store and restaurant open in record time!
August 13, 2004
Pies & Plates, like most all of Charlotte County is hit hard by Hurricane Charley. Extensive damages causes the store to close while repairs are made.
July 2004
Pies & Plates hosts fund raiser for C.A.R.E. Auxiliary. The funds will be used for children's programs at the shelter for abused women and children.
May & June 2004
Open just one year, Pies & Plates is bursting at the seams. Owners take over the store next door and begin renovations. Restrooms are relocated and the kitchen and espresso bar are expanded to accommodate the growing restaurant business.
April 2004
Pies & Plates celebrates its first anniversary with week-long festivities, including cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and a coffee bean bag race!
January 2004Wrap sandwiches and salads are added to Pies & Plates menu in order to attract more business during the lunch hour. Within weeks the espresso bar is a popular lunch spot!
January 2004
Pies & Plates hosts cooking classes with cook Brian Sung from the River City Grill. Nicknamed "Little Emeril" by guests, Brian charmed everyone with his winning smile and culinary skills!
July 2003
Pies & Plates makes the front cover of Gourmet News, a National trade publication for the gourmet industry.
April 2003
Pies & Plates open on April 7, 2003 at 2310 Tamiami Trail, Suite. 3117 in the Punta Gorda Crossing Shopping Center.
I
