Two years and several slices of pie ago, a little place called Pie Shop opened in Atlanta. The very first Pie Shop is nestled in the basement of a strip mall in the heart of Buckhead’s bar district on Roswell Road, but the place has never seemed anything but warm. Its owner, Mims Bledsoe, is usually around serving up slices with a smile or packaging up pies in pretty boxes with Pie Shop branded ribbon.
“We had great word of mouth when we first opened,” Mims said. “We were embraced by Buckhead because we brought something different to the table. I don’t know if we would’ve survived anywhere else. It’s a great location to sustain a business long term. We got a lot of great foodie attention in the beginning, but it’s the community who keeps coming back.”
Our first sampling of Pie Shop goodness in 2011
And who wouldn’t want to keep coming back to Pie Shop for more sweet goodness? Pie Shop can custom make a pie with 24 hours notice. The most popular flavors are coconut cream, chocolate ganache, and classic apple. Mims also touts blackberry, milk and cookies, blueberry rhubarb, and maple chess as being some of her favorite pies. Menus are seasonal and change about every two months allowing the use of fresh ingredients in these classic concoctions. During the holidays, Mims said she’ll pull “all-nighters pureeing pumpkin”. She’s also creating jobs one pie at a time, with lots of part time help for when her kitchen gets busy with orders.
Pie Shop is now calling upon its loyal following of pie lovers to help open a second location. Though Mims can’t say specifically which buildings, she’s been in talks with several landlords in Virginia-Highlands, Decatur, and Inman Park. “The vibrancy of any of these neighborhoods would be an ideal match for Pie Shop’s second location,” she said. Help show Pie Shop a bit of love, goodness, and pie for all of Atlanta by donating now to her Kickstarter campaign.
Pledge $25 to Pie Shop's Kickstarter campaign to enjoy stuffing your face at happy hour!
The goal is to raise $35,000 by Oct. 4, and various levels of pledges will earn rewards. For example, a $25 donation warrants an invitation to an exclusive happy hour at Pie Shop where patrons can BYOB and stuff their faces with pie. A $35 donation earns you a free pie of your choice, $50 includes Pie Shop swag and apparel (only available through Kickstarter), $85 grants admission to a Pie Shop baking class, $150 gets y’all into the preview party for when Pie Shop opens their awesome second location, and a $240 donation buys you an annual Pie Shop subscription where a different pie is shipped to your house each month. There options range from $1 to $5,000, so make your pledge now y’all! Here’s their Kickstarter video, featuring yours truly from @Pretty_Southern.