Looking for a Hobbit-themed dining experience for the most precious of patrons? Second Breakfast Pies is a local brunch place that offers just that for all, whether they’re Lord of the Rings fans or not.
After moving to Eugene amid the COVID-19 pandemic and working as a substance abuse counselor for over two years, Amy Romero decided to switch paths and relieve her stress through her longtime love of baking.
Romero’s love for cooking originally stemmed from her grandfather’s teachings.
“He gave me that space from learning through my mistakes with cooking,” she says. “Like, I’d go to have an egg in hand, and get egg everywhere, and he’d just giggle. That was like my sanctuary.”
Romero realized she could make a living selling pies when she baked 22 pies on Thanksgiving in 2022 to sell to her friends and family.
She and her husband, Davey Romero, initially tried their hand at selling pies during the Oregon Country Fair later in the year, but unfortunately could not charge people due to a lack of business licensing. This obstacle propelled Amy Romero to take a business class at Lane Community College, where she could learn how to develop the foundation for her business.
She says, “It was actually a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to really understand what I want to do with our company. And it was really cool that we could just give away pie, and people were freaking stoked.”
After obtaining proper licensing, Amy and Davey opened their doors in January 2023, welcoming humans and Hobbits alike, no matter their size.
After growing up with chaotic childhoods, both Amy and Davey grew close to their grandparents and were able to have a safe space to let their creativity run wild. The couple wanted to create a similarly welcoming space for people to come as they are and express the whimsical side of their personalities.
“No matter how small you are, you can make a difference and just come and be loved and be in the space of creating joy and magic,” Amy Romero says.
The restaurant is open every weekend from 10 am to 2 pm and sells tickets online for the Second Breakfast Sunday event, which occurs on the last Sunday of every month. The ticket includes admission, a pie, a salad, charcuterie options, a beverage and live entertainment and a chance to play interactive games.
“Instead of just merely going to a place and eating, you get to go on an adventure and really immerse yourself in an experience,” Romero says.
The business specializes in meat pies and has a variety of flavors to pick from. Customers get clues to guess the pie of the month and are encouraged to play hide and seek with handmade resin mushrooms.
“We’re seeing a huge need for it now, especially with where we’re at in our country, where people just want to escape, and they want a different type of world,” Romero says. “Playfulness is so underrated in our culture, and it’s in the heart of what my husband, Davey, and I bring. There’s a lot of research on play showing that it really is food for the soul, and that it’s very needed.”
The couple hopes to one day open a bed and breakfast that is an actual Hobbiton where people can fully immerse themselves in Hobbit culture for multiple days at a time.
Romero says, “We are not just a pie company, we really have the intention to create a safe space for people.”
Join Second Breakfast Pies’ following and the fellowship of the pies on Instagram, where a friend to all is a friend to none.
Second Breakfast Pies is open 10 am to 2 pm Saturday and Sunday, at 150 Shelton McMurphey Boulevard, suite 103. Tickets for specialty brunch packages can be found at SecondBreakfastPies.com.
This story has been updated.