Sometimes a single menu item takes on a life of its own.
Just ask the team from Huya Craft Coffee in Youngsville, La. that was named a winner in this year’s Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest for their Boudin Pastry Tart. Little did they know they’d soon be cranking out hundreds of the new menu item in several different flavors each week to keep up with demand.
We recently caught up with Huya’s co-owners, Kily LaGarde and David and Shayna Hines, to learn more about how they have turned their creative take on pastry tarts into a signature menu item.
When opening Huya Craft Coffee last August, the trio knew they’d focus on custom coffee drinks but also wanted to experiment with a few food items. They enlisted a local pastry chef, who not only helped to flush out their menu but helped them prepare an entry for the Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest.
After experimenting with Pillsbury™ Frozen Pie Dough Sheets, the Boudin Pastry Tart was born! Made by rolling out the pie dough and filling it with a blend of pepper jack cheese and boudin, the savory tarts are topped with local pepper jelly and port cracklins.
In addition to being named one of 20 winners in the annual recipe contest, the award-winning menu item sparked a wave of other varieties of pastry tarts that now include staple flavors such as cookie butter and strawberry as well as special offerings like caramel apple, peanut butter & jelly and smores. They’ve also have found a way to use local and seasonal ingredients for fillings, including homemade jellies and jams from Dave’s mom.
Today, the coffee house regularly stocks three to four varieties, selling nearly 50 each day.
“We’ve become known for our ‘poptarts’ thanks to the recipe contest and all the resulting publicity which brought in a new group of people through our doors,” said Kily. “The whole effort has lead to more customers and also helped us realize new potential for our business.”
While the coffee house also boasts a gourmet toast bar and a select menu of sandwiches and baked goods, the co-owners credit the pastry tarts for helping them realize how the right food item can help grow ticket size and unexpected success.
“They really standout in the bakery case as they are a very visual item—often topped with colorful icing and creative toppings,” said Dave. “They offer a bit of nostalgia for those of us who grew up eating Pop-Tarts®, it’s like a fancier treat that takes you back to your childhood,” he said.
Huya also makes a mini version of the pastry tarts and featured them recently in Teacher Appreciation packages that included a voucher for teachers to treat themselves to a coffee of their choice. The smaller size is also opening up potential for catering opportunities as the team is in the process of sharing samples with a new venue in town that will host tradeshows, weddings and more.
Beyond serving as a fun menu item that customers have come to know and love, the pastry tarts have also earned the adoration of Huya’s staff for their ease of prep and versatility that allows for endless creativity.
Dave says “practice makes perfect” when rolling out the pastry tarts and cutting them to size, but he adds that using the prepared dough sheets makes for an efficient process with consistent results every time.
While the success of the pastry tarts may have been somewhat unexpected for this craft coffeehouse, Huya’s co-owners look forward to seeing what else pops up for them with this signature menu item and new opportunities for the future.