Recipe for success: Pie Junkie entrepreneurs, OSU alumni share secrets of creating award-winning business

Recipe for success: Pie Junkie entrepreneurs, OSU alumni share secrets of creating award-winning business

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Media Contact: Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | [email protected]

Leslie Coale-Mossman has a sentimental connection to pie.

Throughout her upbringing in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, the rich aroma of a buttery treat with a flaky pastry crust wafted through family kitchens year-round.

"We didn't have birthday cake," Coale-Mossman said. "My grandma always made pies."

Coale-Mossman's edible symbol of celebration also fuels her livelihood. The 1999 Oklahoma State University graduate realized she wasn't alone in her passion for pie, so she joined forces with friend Darcy Schein to feed that voracious market, quickly turning a profit at their shop known as Pie Junkie.

More than a decade after moving into a permanent location in Oklahoma City's bustling Plaza District, Pie Junkie has grown into an award-winning phenomenon with lines of customers out the door. For three consecutive years, Pie Junkie has received recognition in the Cowboy100, an event hosted by the Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to honor the fastest-growing businesses led or owned by OSU graduates.

Emily Hummel, who holds a Spears School of Business general business degree with minors in marketing and management, also plays a central role in Pie Junkie's success as the first and only general manager. Coale-Mossman, Schein and Hummel visited OSU on Sept. 18 for the Riata Center's Entrepreneurial Bites series, serving up anecdotal lessons (and a couple of scrumptious pies) to students.

How did the trio turn their business idea into a city hotspot with praise from Vogue, BuzzFeed and USA Today? Their sweet and savory pie recipes might be secret, but these five entrepreneurial tips are free for anyone to borrow:

1. Find your niche.

When Coale-Mossman and Schein started cooking together in a rented church kitchen, pie was one of several items on their menu.

But when they requested orders for weekly meals, the demand became obvious.

"I remember panicking one Thursday when we needed to make 36 chicken pot pies," Schein said. "And then at holidays, people were ordering more pies than we anticipated."

The founders chuckle at those memories because churning out dozens of pies is now a typical day on the job - Pie Junkie makes thousands every year. Despite their versatile baking skills, Coale-Mossman and Schein differentiated themselves with a focus on pie, standing out in a candy-coated crowd of cupcake and cookie shops.

Over time, the founders have expanded their menu, offering colorful Spirit Sprinkles cookies and savory quiche, but their business model revolves around the three-letter word in the store's name since 2011.

"The shop mantra is, 'Know what you do, and do it well,'" Coale-Mossman said. "What are people asking for? How do we answer the need that is being brought to us? That's why it was really pies."

2. Choose a strategic location.

Coale-Mossman and Schein conducted research in Oklahoma City's Plaza District.

Prior to signing a lease, the entrepreneurs sat in the trendy locale and watched the crowds ebb and flow, paying attention to peak activity times. After careful observation and collaboration with an accommodating landlord, they strategically chose the Plaza District in 2013 over other popular areas in the city. Young people flock to the walkable district for shopping and food, and Pie Junkie's fun vibe fits into the bright, artsy aesthetic of buildings on Northwest 16th Street.

"We looked a long time for our space, and that would be something I would tell young entrepreneurs," Coale-Mossman said. "You're always walking this balance of, what can I afford, but also, what is going to serve me in the long run?"

3. Let social media tell an organic story.

Emily Hummel embarked on a traditional business path after college.

The Spears Business graduate from Owasso, Oklahoma, started working for Bank of Oklahoma but quickly learned finance wasn't the best fit. After a couple of different jobs, she found her calling in a pie shop. Once a part-time employee, Hummel draws upon her marketing and management background in her full-time position at Pie Junkie, emphasizing customer service and wowing customers with photos of pies on social media.

"One thing we're really set on is that we would never hire out our social media," Hummel said. "I am there, and I know what we have that day and I know what looks good."

The pies sell themselves, so Hummel doesn't need to go overboard on social media. With more than 68,000 Instagram followers, a simple snapshot of a peach blackberry crumble slice on a plate is enough to win the hearts - and stomachs - of potential customers.

Hummel said she also highlights the people who work in the shop, and she isn't the only team member whose communication skills come in handy. Coale-Mossman obtained a broadcast journalism degree from OSU, and Schein graduated from Tennessee's Austin Peay State University with a communications degree. Together, the talkative trio knows how to spread the word about their products.

4. Determine what pays off and what doesn't.

Schein told Spears Business students about her phrase "grief to revenue."

For business owners, revenue isn't the sole factor that matters, she explained. Developing a business strategy is also about determining what requires more stress than it's worth.

With this strategy, the Pie Junkie founders have adapted to change, whether it's replacing a menu item, using a temporary curbside model during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic or introducing take-and-bake TV dinners to customers.

At the same time, they stick to the methods that work best. Although the idea of expanding to multiple locations has popped up, Schein and Coale-Mossman haven't caved to external pressure, only making the decision if they decide it's right in the future. Coale-Mossman still bakes pies as she did at the beginning, arriving in an apron and baseball cap to work as one of the kitchen staff.

"We just took little micro steps until we are where we are today," Coale-Mossman said.

5. Appreciate the successes.

Coale-Mossman and Schein didn't shy away from discussing the challenges women face as entrepreneurs.

When they started their business, they encountered some people who didn't take their idea seriously, dismissing it as "cute." As busy mothers, they also had to handle the nearly impossible task of work-life balance, rushing between kids' sporting events and dance practices while keeping their pie shop open. Coale-Mossman joked she has three kids: two daughters and Pie Junkie.

If building a business were as easy as pie, then everyone would do it. But in the midst of their hectic schedules, Coale-Mossman, Schein and Hummel stop to appreciate reminders of their success. That includes the Riata Center's annual Cowboy100 Honoree Gala.

"I just love that OSU is recognizing entrepreneurs," Coale-Mossman said. "I just look around the room, and I think about how much bravery it takes for people to really put themselves out there. In these businesses, there's risk and sometimes not reward, so it's nice to be rewarded and recognized by OSU because we do work hard.

"I feel really grateful that OSU recognizes the work we're doing. I loved my time here, and I was very prepared to go out into the world, whether I would have been an entrepreneur or not."

To learn more about the Cowboy100 or nominate a business, visit the webpage.

See the full list of Entrepreneurial Bites speakers for the 2024-25 school year here.