Offering a glimpse of Europe to downtown Kerrville, Pookie’s Patisserie brings a highly-curated menu and dining experience in the comfort of the Hill Country.
Though welcoming its first customers this Valentine’s Day, Pookie’s Patisserie has been a project the Fore family has been working towards for years. The idea for Pookie’s Patisserie blossomed when the two Fore daughters, Livia, 12 and Vivian, 10, wanted to start a lemonade stand.
“I really wanted to do a lemonade stand in our neighborhood, just to get extra money to do stuff. Instead we went straight to this,” said Livia.
The girls’ mother, Laura Fore, elaborates on how her daughters’ simple idea grew into a functioning business.
“We were just going to have a little lemonade stand, then Vivian got the idea to have gelato. We started looking into getting an ice cream cart. One thing led to another, and this space on the 700 block of Water Street became available. It was just small enough and was definitely a diamond in the rough, but we’ve been chipping away at the remodel for the last year,” Laura said.
The patisserie. located at 711 Water Street, which previously was an antique store, underwent a complete makeover fit for an elevated dining experience.
“Micah, my husband, was the general contractor. I was more of the interior designer. We have tables that Micah made and a custom upholstered banquette. We did all the trim work to look like a French salon, and all of the fixtures are made to look like they are original to the building,” Laura said.
Aside from renovating the location, preparations for the business’ debut involved hand-picking the best products.
“For about two years, we’ve been trying almost every macaroon and gelato shop in the state, trying to find the best of the best. We wanted to make sure our resources used all-natural ingredients and we offered allergen-safe options so that everybody can have a little something sweet,” said Laura.
When it comes to flavor-selection, Pookie’s Patisserie’s co-owners Livia and Vivian are key to curating the gelato and sweets menus.
“I learned that it takes a lot of time to do everything – like picking out the flavors. One of my favorites is definitely the macarons, my favorite flavor is Red Velvet and Vivian’s is Cotton Candy. Our favorite gelato flavor would be Vanilla Bean,” Livia said.
Since its grand opening in February, Pookie’s Patisserie has been met with support from customers and other businesses in the downtown community.
“We’ve had a really great response, almost overwhelmingly so, especially with our neighbors on the block. Arcadia Live and Kerrville’s Favorite Saloon has let us extend our outdoor seating, since we have such a small space. The Sweeter Side of Rails gave us our gelato machine and the Arcadia also donated a piece of cabinetry we repurposed,” said Laura.
With hours of operation from the early morning well into the evening, Pookie’s Patisserie has welcomed customers to come in and support the new business day or night.
“Our busiest days would be Fridays, just around 8 p.m. That’s when we get the most people,” said Livia.
“We wanted to have a contribution towards the nightlife here, one that was family-friendly. I enjoy seeing the mommies here after school with their kids, or couples who swing by for dessert after dinner, and of course people catching up over morning coffee,” Laura said.
Pookie’s Patisserie focuses on high-quality products alongside a curated ambiance to serve its customers. For more information of Pookie’s Patisserie and it’s offering, visit their website at: www.pookiespatisserie.com.