The scoop on Pookie's: Local grade school entrepreneurs to open gelato shop

A mint green Vespa sits in the window of the building at 711 Water St., the new home of Pookie’s Patisserie in downtown Kerrville.

“The color was our inspiration for the interior,” Livia Fore said.

Livia, 10, and her sister, Vivian, 7, are the co-owners of Pookie’s, making them two of Kerrville’s youngest entrepreneurs.

The inside of Pookie’s mirrors the mint green of the Vespa and incorporates complimentary colors of pink pastel and soft white. Gold leaf and an Italian Elektra vintage-inspired coffee machine accent the European inspiration behind the décor.

The new patisserie is set to open on Valentine’s Day and will offer handcrafted Italian pastries, espresso, lemonade, macarons, truffles and artisan gelato to customers.

“It actually started with a lemonade stand,” Livia said.

It snowballed from there, when Vivian took a special interest in gelato. Inspired by her love for animals, Pookie’s will offer “Gatto Gelato,” giving the small-batch gelato on offer an extra personal touch.

The Fores have been taste testing to prepare for the opening.

“Gelato has more flavor options, and I like that,” Livia said.

“Birthday cake is my favorite flavor,” Vivian said.

Pookie’s will have a rotating selection of 10 gelato flavors each month, with a Flavor of the Month picked to reflect the season.

The Flavor of the Month for February and Pookie’s grand opening will be a strawberry rosé, blending the fruity sweetness of strawberries with the more sophisticated notes of rosé champagne.

While Livia and Vivian are the masterminds behind and founders of the business, their parents, Laura and Micah Fore, have been instrumental in making the vision a reality for their daughters.

“We’re silent partners,” Laura said.

Laura lended a hand in helping the girls design the interior of the patisserie, while Micah served as the general contractor, overseeing the construction needed to update the space on Water Street.

The inspiration behind the name of the business came from Livia’s family nickname, “Pookie.”

“They used to call me that when I was a baby,” Livia said.

For more information about Pookie’s Patisserie, call 830-792-3000 or visit www.pookiespatisserie.com. Hours of operation will be posted to the site closer to the grand opening date.

This article was originally published in the Feb. 2025 edition of Hill Country Culture Magazine.