Sister Pie has won the fourth annual Hatch Detroit contest, taking home the $50,000 grand prize. The bakery and pie shop beat out
a music store,
a New Orleans-themed bar and restaurant, and
a breakfast and lunch spot for the top prize.
While pie is deeply rooted in tradition, Sister Pie often puts inventive twists on its products. Recent pies include a pinto bean, corn, and jalapeno hand pie and a blueberry, plum, and balsamic pie.
Lisa Ludwinski, who owns and operates Sister Pie, has said that the Hatch prize money will go a long way toward completing the renovations of a West Village storefront. $50,000 will help Ludwinski reduce the amount of any loans she may need to take out as she builds out the Sister Pie location at Parker and Kercheval streets. Ludwinski hopes for an April 2015 opening.
A physical location for Sister Pie is important to Ludwinski,
having stressed the desire for a community space in the neighborhood. Once the cafe opens, Sister Pie will offer breakfast and lunch items in addition to the pies and cookies for which the business is already well known.
Ludwinski hopes to open a temporary counter at the storefront while construction is completed. In the meantime, Sister Pie products are available throughout the city, including at
Parker Street Market, Sister Pie's future neighbor.
After menswear and lifestyle boutique Hugh won
the first Hatch contest in 2011, the next three winners have all been food- and drink-based businesses. La Feria,
a Spanish tapas restaurant that opened in 2013, won in 2012. Meanwhile, Batch Brewing Company, a small batch brewery that took the top prize in 2013,
continues to work on their eventual Corktown location.
Source: Lisa Ludwinski, owner and operator of Sister Pie
Writer: MJ Galbraith
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