Table Talk leaving Kelley Square for $22-million Main South facility

Table Talk Pies Inc., the third generation dessert manufacturer, plans to leave its Kelley Square location and build a $22-million facility at the former Crompton & Knowles campus in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood, the company said Thursday.

In collaboration with Chacharone Properties, the Worcester real estate management company, the 95-year-old pie company  will move its operation to an 8-acre site. Plans call for hiring 50 more employees, bringing its total to 180 at the new facility. Table Talk proposed a 120,000-square-foot plant that would include production space, a warehouse, and offices. 

The move comes as the Canal District around Kelley Square is being transformed into a mixed-use neighborhood that would include more housing, shops, and office use. The Table Talk facility sits immediately next to the planned $132-million Polar Park stadium development, in anticipation of the Pawtucket Red Sox moving to the city next year.

As with two previous buildings developed for the pie company, Chacharone said it will complement the designs of other updated buildings in the neighborhood.  

Construction is expected to be completed in June 2021.

Table Talk said it will invest $12 million in equipment and building improvements while Chacharone will invest $10 million. The companies said they plan to seek an unspecified amount of tax credits from the city. 

Since 2017, Table Talk and Chacharone have built two facility in the South Worcester Industrial Park: the 25 Southgate St. bakery and a cold storage facility on Armory Street.

Chacharone bought the Gardner Street site in phases, in deals where they were represented by A. Murray Real Estate of Worcester.

The first included a parcel of 3.5 acres with a 105,000-square-foot industrial building it bought last fall for $850,000.

On Thursday, Chacharone purchased an adjacent 1.4-acre property at 68 Gardner St. for $75,000. That parcel includes a 137,000-square-foot brick warehouse. 

Table Talk plans to employ a total 180 full-time operations staff at the new location. The 130 current full-time production staff will be complemented by 50 new full-time positions over the next three years, Table Talk said. 

The company will continue to bake pies in Kelley Square while the building of the new bakery is underway. Once the new bakery is completed, the company will phase down production. At that point, the company will look at its options for the future development of the property.  There are no plans to move the company’s retail store, The Pie Store, from its Green Street location.

Grant Welker contributed to this report.