People who have a sweet tooth can get their own piece of the pie - and choose their flavor.
The Grand Traverse Pie Co., 3536 Meridian Crossing Drive in Okemos, opened its third location Saturday, bringing a taste of Traverse City to the Lansing area.
“Lansing has a really good market, there really aren’t (any pie-type stores),” said Mike Busley, the stores’ founder and owner. “We want to be known as a friendly warm place with the best pies around.”
Adding to their original store and a second location in Brighton, the new location was strategically picked because of its central location.
“We ship over 100,000 pies a year (in the state of Michigan), and this location will be our primary shipping store,” Busley said. “The logistics of (the new location) made a lot of sense.”
Busley’s partner, Bob Anderson, is moving his family from the Brighton area to the Lansing area.
“I definitely have anxiety that (comes with) anything new,” Anderson said. “But (the product) will be the same as Brighton and Traverse City’s stores, so I am confident we will do well.”
The freshly baked pies at The Grand Traverse Pie Co. range from traditional flavors like cherry and apple to more creative flavors.
“One flavor that is really popular is Lakeshore Berry,” Anderson said. “It is a combination of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and apples.”
The name Grand Traverse Pie Co. was chosen to identify with that area, especially because it is famous for cherries, Busley said.
The store’s owners, both from the Lansing area, are glad to be back in town.
“It really is good to be back where your roots are,” Busley said.
Busley, who never made a pie in his life before the store’s conception, got the idea while living in California.
“(His wife Denise and I) were disgruntled with working with huge corporations and tried to figure out what we wanted to do,” he said. “I got the idea from a woman who had a pie business that I admired.”
The woman showed Busley the ropes of the baking industry.
“A lot of people wouldn’t do that, but she did,” he said.
With the large amount of pies shipped throughout the state, many people are happy with the more convenient location.
“They have really good home-baked pies, and I miss the taste of them,” said Lindsay Holdsworth, a merchandising management junior from Traverse City. “Now I can get them and be reminded of home without actually being there.”
