Busley and his wife, Denise, who are both MSU graduates, operate the original Grand Traverse Pie Company founded in Traverse City 11 years ago. The 11th shop located in Michigan is scheduled to open its doors Oct. 8 in Brookfield Plaza on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Hagadorn Road.

A sugary smell of warm, baked pies greeting customers at the door is the strongest asset of his bakery cafes, Busley said.

“There are some things you smell that just snap you back to when you were 12 or 13 at your grandparents’ house,” he said. “We’ll take a close second to grandma any day.”

From the doors, customers will have a view of bakers preparing pies at the East Lansing location. All cherries, apples and blueberries the bakers use are grown in Michigan.

Besides its namesake, Grand Traverse Pie Company’s menu includes other baked goods and breads, cookies, cakes, wraps, sandwiches, salads and soups.

The shop will offer an indoor-outdoor fireplace and outdoor patio facing Hagadorn Road. All the exterior remodeling for the shop is part of a 10-year plan to upgrade the shopping center, Brookfield Plaza owner Robert Phipps said.

Along with architectural adjustments, Phipps has made the center more accessible to walkers and bikers with sidewalks through the parking lot.

“It’s been my desire to make this a neighborhood center – to make it more pedestrian-friendly,” he said.

Vic Loomis, an East Lansing city council member, has partnered with Phipps on other development projects. He said the center has made a lot of progress since Phipps bought the property about 10 years ago.

“He’s put a lot of thought and a lot of effort into this project to make it more like a park setting, and it’s really come a long way,” Loomis said.

Working out a deal with the pie company will be a welcome addition to the shopping center, Phipps said.

“We can’t wait to have them in here,” he said. “Their prices are pretty moderate and the way they serve their food is sort of cafeteria-style, both of which should interest students.”

Grand Traverse Pie Company will open in five more locations by the end of the year, including an additional eight by next year.

“People are going to see some real growth in the number of our shops in the next few months,” Busley said. “Right now, we’re getting our legs under us.”