A final goodbye to the Chicken Pie Shop. Customers pack restaurant during final week

Grandmarie’s Chicken Pie Shop is receiving quite the farewell.

Since Monday’s news that the iconic restaurant in the Tower District was closing for good after Sunday, customers have formed long lines out the door and packed the place daily.

So much so that the Chicken Pie Shop sold out of food and closed the restaurant by 1 p.m. each of the past two days (it usually closes at 7 p.m.)

And the restaurant is no longer selling chicken pot pies, except to customers who pre-ordered them earlier in the week.

An employee at the Chicken Pie Shop said they’ve made 4,000 pies just this week.

“They closed the dining room and I walked out with the last 4 pies I will ever have,” wrote Fresnan Christopher Clark on Facebook. “These 4 pies are considered the golden tickets of Fresno right now.

“This really sucks.....”

Several others took to social media to express sadness about the Chicken Pie Shop closing. It’s been around since 1946, including its Olive Avenue location since 1956.

“A dark day in the history of Craig,” wrote Craig Noblett on Facebook. “A fixture of my childhood, not to mention the home of the best chicken pies in the world is closing its doors after 63 years. ...

“Chicken Pie Shop — you will be greatly missed!”

“Lunch date with my mom,” wrote Fresnan Mark Tucker. “Last time to Chicken Pie Shop. End of an era.

“At least they’re packed!”

The recent boom in business did have some wondering if owner Gary Ross planned to change his mind about closing.

But employees at the restaurant said they doubt it.

The Chicken Pie Shop is closing for several reasons including that the 72-year-old owner wants to retire and spend more time with his grandchildren.

He doesn’t own the building, but the business is for sale, just as it was for a bit in 2018. And employees said there has been talk of someone buying the Chicken Pie Shop’s recipes, though it’s unclear if anyone has made any serious inquires.

This story was originally published March 29, 2019 at 10:27 PM.