Get your pot pies while you can. West Seattle's Pot Pie Factory is closing after five years.
Pot Pie Factory photo
If you never tried them, the pot pies from West Seattle's Pot Pie Factory, then you've missed an extraordinary dining experience. But your window to try them is closing. Pot Pie Factory will close as of June 26. You still order online for the time being but the company now has only one person, Owner/Chef Logan Niles so be patient.
Visit https://www.potpiefactory.co/home
Chef Logan Niles posted the announcement on June 4.
"As we celebrate the 5th Anniversary of our business incorporation, it's time to say goodbye. The post-pandemic climate has become too difficult to weather here at PPF. We beat the national average during an incredibly difficult time in world history.
in 2017, I had hoped that what I was creating would eventually become a legacy business with Pot Pie Factory franchises across the country. 5 years ago was a very different time to be in the food industry, one full of promise and opportunity.
The Pandemic has taken so much from us all: loved ones, opportunities, income, and stability. It also gave us so much as well: new opportunities, a call to arms in the name of support, caring, and community. Truly, the bitter with the sweet.
Many of you wonderful people discovered us just as we all began to feel the brunt of circumstances few of us had seen in our lifetimes and it breathed life into this small venture that was largely unknown at the time. To give you an idea of how far we've come, I'm proud to share that in February of 2020 our website had only processed around 260+ orders over 2 years. As of today, we're nearing 5k completed orders! Wow!
You all helped me prove to the many doubters and potential investors that there really was something to this "pot pie thing". That hasn't changed. In fact, I was on a call with email tech support today and the customer service guy said.."Man, pot pies? Now I'm hungry!". This love of pot pies is real!
Alas, I've hit an impasse and it's time to close down and step away from this beautiful, challenging venture. Staffing issues, sharp increases in the cost of goods, delivery instability, and a myriad number of issues have worn me down. The "grind and hustle" has finally taken its toll and the joy I once had for cooking for a living has gone from a roiling boil to a bare simmer. I've worked in kitchens since I was 13 and with my 50th birthday on the near horizon, it's time for a break. I made some bold moves this year but unfortunately, it just wasn't enough to keep pushing this complex ball uphill as a solo entrepreneur.
Since I'll be alone in the kitchen from now until the end of June, I've closed down the site for orders until later this week. I need that time to get a jump on making as many pies as possible to stock the site with our final inventory. We'll also open up Pick-up to 5 days a week starting June 13th - June 26th (Mon-Fri) to help move inventory out before giving up our kitchen space.
We will continue to service the Proctor Farmer's Market in Tacoma for the remainder of June's Saturdays (6/11, 6/18, 6/25). We'll have stock control turned on and will update inventory on the site as we get closer to June 26th, our last day for sales. We may even have a goodbye event at our production facility in W. Seattle on June 26th.
New Day Cooperative, Cafe Racer, Highland Park Corner Store, Old 5th Avenue Tavern, and The Rusty Goat Cafe in Tacoma all have pies available for sale. We recommend you call in advance to make sure they have what you want in stock before visiting.
As for the future? I've been discussing a possible pivot with an associate in the industry, but we've only just begun to see if it has legs or not and if funding that venture is a reality. If it ends up being so I'll be sure to let everyone know. Until then, I need to get a job and find some true work-life balance.
Stay tuned for the last of our final newsletters and thank you from the bottom of our hearts (Michele sends her love) for being such wonderful customers!
We love you dearly,
Chef Logan and Michele