By Sandi Tomlin-Sutker

One day in 2017, Kirsten and her daughter, Haley, were shopping in South Asheville and wanted to find a slice of pie and cup of coffee. “We couldn’t find anything, unless we wanted to go to the grocery store and get a whole pie!” This lack sparked the idea of opening her own pie shop. Kirsten had recently turned age 50, was running her own social media marketing company and wasn’t really passionate about it; however, the idea of running a little pie place resonated with her. “I was a home baker, loved baked goods (and I admit to being addicted to sugar!) and thought it would be great to have a place for locals to meet, relax and hang out.”

Kirsten had never worked in a restaurant, but had marketing and management experience working with Selina Naturally (aka, Celtic Salt); she had worked in retail as a teen, so had experience with inventory; and she was not afraid to ask questions. “I also knew the kind of experience I wanted to have when I went into a restaurant.”

And the timing was right. A few years earlier, she and her husband were sitting next to an elderly gentleman at a wedding. In conversation, he told her that if she had the opportunity to change careers at age 50, he highly recommended doing that. It was a new idea to her, having grown up with parents who stayed with a single career all their lives. “The idea stuck with me that I could do something different, could try different things, and here I was at age 50. I told myself: ‘I’m gonna do it!’ “

“I was scared, but I had faith. I’m a big believer that faith will get you far as long as you take the right steps. God will shut a door that needs to be shut or open a door that needs to be open. I just decided to ‘jump out of the plane.’ There were things I didn’t know but said, I’ll figure it out.” She found numerous experts who were all helpful, willing to guide her in whatever she needed to know next. She went to local consultant, Annice Brown, director of the NC Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) for advice and took a couple of her classes. Kirsten’s husband has his own business and she was able to tap into the expertise of his bookkeeper, as well.

Doors opened and things fell into place. She found the South Asheville location and after just a few months, a woman asked her to look at some equipment in a spot in Woodfin. When Kirsten saw that there was a sink, a stove and a large open space, she thought, “Why don’t we open a shop here too; it’s north of downtown and has plenty of parking,” and it fit her idea of catering to the local community. “We love tourists, but we wanted a place where locals would easily drive and park. It turns out rainy days are our busiest, so parking is important.”

Her sister, Ingrid, decided to invest and move to Asheville to take over management of the Woodfin location. She even put her musical theatre acting career on hold for five years to do it. She brings a specific focus to the job: in addition to Baked Pie Company’s family orientation, she hosts a monthly “Queer Pie Night” at the Woodfin store. Both shops have created a comfortable space where women, and men alike, could meet, talk openly, and feel safe.

What Makes a Successful Business?

1. “Have a really good product. We don’t use any fillers. We do everything by hand, including the pie crusts. It’s what makes our pies taste like your grandmother’s pies. We have over 100 recipes we rotate through each day.”

2. Have fantastic customer service. “I notice when I go out how I’m treated. I want our customers to feel loved and noticed, and there’s no room for anything less. I won’t hire anybody who doesn’t have that personality; you can’t be shy around here either. We have many customers we know by name. It’s a real family feeling place!”

There are other factors about Baked Pie Company that have made it a great success from the beginning. Take those 100 recipes for instance. “We rotate the pies through every day. The number one favorite of customers is the Honey Pecan pie so it’s on the menu each day. Fudge Brownie is the number one chocolate pie and it’s on the daily menu, as well. By popular request, we have added the Coconut Cream pie twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays); we sell out on those days.” They do seasonal pies like Strawberry Rhubarb in the spring and Peach Pie in the summer. If the strawberries look really good at the market, they make Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie.

Kirsten gets ideas and brings those in to her team; her bakers come up with ideas for her to try. One of her assistant managers, Megan, who’s been with her from the beginning, came up with their popular Peanut Butter and Jelly pie. “Last week we had four new pies to try. I tried each of them, but if the taste doesn’t make my eyes roll back in my head, they aren’t passing. If they are bland or I can’t identify what’s inside, I send them back with my suggestions and they keep tweaking until we all agree that they are ready for the cases.”

In addition to single pie slices, Kirsten came up with the idea of a Pie Flight: three smaller pie slices of your choice and a scoop of ice cream. “There are wine and beer flights, but we’d never heard of a pie flight, so we created it.” It’s a great way to sample different pies, share with friends, or take some home.

And pie isn’t the only unique product for sale. The décor items, all for sale, are reminiscent of Kirsten’s grandmother’s house. “I love antiques and repurposing things, so I went out and bought antiques for both locations. They don’t have to be expensive; I go to estate sales, antique stores and thrift stores. Yesterday I went to Goodwill and bought 90 stuffed little beanie animals that go into our Magic Suitcase. Kids can pick out one to play with

and take with them. Now customers even bring their own stuffed animals to donate. We want everyone to feel good, transported to a time when they felt safe, in a real family atmosphere… eating pie.”

She says she can tell first-time customers because they come in the door and stop; they look around, smell the pies, and are transfixed, smiling at the décor. “Everyone leaves here happy!”

Changing careers at age 50 turned out to be just the right thing for Kirsten. She recommends it to any woman (or man) who wants to try something new. “Just do it. It’s OK to try new stuff. There’s a phrase about ‘if it’s fearful, it must be right.’” She didn’t let her fear, or her age, stop her from creating this business. And she hopes her willingness to try new things will inspire her adult children to take more chances in life. Maybe her example will inspire you to take your own leap into the unknown!

You can find your favorite pie
at one of two locations:

4 Long Shoals Road, Arden NC 
828-333-4366

50 N. Merrimon Avenue, Asheville, NC (Woodfin) – 828-210-9544

BakedPieCompany.com

Sandi Tomlin-Sutker is a freelance writer and editor.

Contact her at [email protected]