🔒Worcester 300 trivia contest, part 14: Famous pie manufacturer

WBJ has partnered with the Worcester Historical Museum to run a year-long trivia contest in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Worcester’s founding on June 14, 1722. Readers should email their answer to the question below by Sept. 15 to bkane@wbjournal.com or complete the Google Form below to compete for a special year-end prize package.

Worcester’s dessert company

This now famous Worcester dessert manufacturing company was started by Greek immigrants Theodore Tonna and Angelo Cotsidas. Pies were sold directly to customers, carried in horse-drawn wagons with drivers calling out, “Fresh pies for sale!” After the business was sold and eventually closed in 1984, Christo Cocaine, Tonna’s son-in-law, bought the business out of bankruptcy in 1985 and revived it. His new strategy was the four-inch snack pie, which proved successful. The cmopany is now under the leadership of Christo’s son, Harry Kokinnis, who opened a new 50,000-square-foot facility at 25 Southgate St.

Trivia question: What Worcester dessert manufacturer once sold its pies on a reusable plate, where customers paid a 5-cent deposit refundable upon its return?

And the answer to last edition’s question: The name of the Worcester beverage manufacturer owned by the Crowley family is Polar Beverages.