A Bay Area institution is sticking around for at least a few years longer. Heidi’s Pies, the iconic pie and dining locale that’s lived on San Mateo’s stretch of Highway 82 since 1970, will remain for another three years.
The restaurant was slated to close permanently at the end of the year, but those plans have been shelved.
Scott Morehead, the manager of the establishment, said that he initially planned to retire at the end of 2025. But after owners James and Karen Vandarakis shopped the spot around for new management, they returned to Morehead and came to an agreement on a three-year lease extension.
Morehead said he was influenced by the pleas of his staff to stick around. Server Aurora Douglass has worked at Heidi’s Pies for more than 52 years — back when it was a 24-hour joint. The 24-hour availability stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the restaurant jettisoned more than half of its staff.
The pies are still all handmade by Victor Caamal, who’s also been at Heidi’s for more than 52 years, starting back in the days when the restaurant listed the pies on a large board, with red bulbs indicating which were still in stock.
Server Jo Ortiz has been at Heidi’s for about 30 years. Ortiz said that a new computer software has been installed, and there are hopes for other upgrades, including a new carpet.
During the 24-hour days, Heidi’s had business roll in at all hours. There were moviegoers getting out at 11 p.m., followed by the bar crowds, then medical professionals and police in the wee hours of the pre-morning before the work rush started at 6 a.m.
The Bay Meadows racetrack, which closed in 2008, was also a source of overflow business.
Heidi’s legacy has been forged by how many people return. Ortiz estimates that more than 80%-90% of Heidi’s customers are regulars.
Take a group of longtime Bay Area residents, including three Vietnam veterans, who have been coming to Heidi’s for 30 years. They meet up on Wednesdays.
What keeps them coming back?
“The people, the waitresses — Aurora,” said Peter Franceschi, a member of the group who grew up in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. “They remember your birthdays. It’s more of a family than anything.”
“You meet mostly retirees,” Franceschi said. “Teachers, lawyers, World War II veterans, some of them are gone.”
The optimistic side of Heidi’s future is a hope that the next generation continues to bring repeat business. Local high-schoolers still come in, huddling around tables and cramming chairs to fit large groups.
Heidi’s is still a major destination during the holidays. Patrons line up out the door — some bringing red wagons to carry out their pie haul — on Thanksgiving, sometimes purchasing 20 pies at a time. They ran out at noon after opening at 8 a.m. last year, Ortiz said.
While the long-term future of the business will be a question for Morehead and the owners to answer, they won’t need one until 2028.
Heidi’s Pies, 1941 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo; 650-574-0505. Open Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Correction: This article has been updated to correct an error regarding Heidi’s Pies location.
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