A new bakery has opened in Naples, and despite its highfalutin name, it’s pretty down to earth.

The Pretentious Pie Co., which opened at 679 Roosevelt Trail in mid-June in the former Antique Revival building across from Bray’s Brew Pub, sells donuts, e?clairs, canolis, sandwiches and, of course, pies.

Owner Nick Benoit, of Lewiston, said he came up with the store’s name while flipping through a Thesaurus with a friend. He wanted something different than Benoit’s Bakery, the name of his Lisbon business.

When they came across the word pretentious, Benoit was satisfied, since he was looking for something both “catchy” and “suspicious” that also had a “ring to it.”

“It’s not gourmet, or Italian or anything,” Benoit said, describing the bakery. “I think we’re just going to make good homemade pastries and see what sells, see what works.”

“It just kind of fit with the whole motif I was going for,” he added.

Benoit owns six businesses in total, including an apple orchard and a wholesale pie company. He describes Pretentious Pie Co. as “just a wild and crazy place,” with a variety of features, including a homemade crepe bar, tableside desert making, brownie sundae bars, and more. The bakery, open every day from 7 a.m.-9 p.m., serves homemade donuts made at Benoit’s Bakery in Lisbon, as well as a rotating selection of “pretentious pies of the week.”

“If you want a hot apple pie slice with ice cream we can do that,” Benoit said of the all-American standby.

In the near future, Benoit also plans to serve cocktails at the bakery on Sundays. He said he is looking forward to becoming acquainted with Naples.

“I didn’t really know the area that well and everybody was telling me it was really busy and I got an opportunity,” Benoit said. “I am leasing with an option. It’s an awesome corner and I jumped at the opportunity once I saw it.”

Benoit has hired an 18-person staff and is renting 3,000 square feet of space, including a barn that is attached to the bakery. Next summer, he plans to open a bar-and-grill in the barn.

He said he is still working on a name for the forthcoming establishment.

“One name is Smugglers’ Barn, and we’ve tossed a few others around, with a cool Miami Vice logo,” Benoit said.

Staff member Billie Jean True exhibits pies at the new Naples bakery, Pretentious Pie Co., located at the corner of routes 35 and 302. Staff photo by Ezra Silk