Help Miss American Pie stay in business

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I am the owner and founder of Miss American Pie, a small bakery/cafe that was opened in Park Slope in August 2019.

If you've been following us for a while, you know that we tried a Kickstarter fundraiser before we opened the shop. If you tried to donate to that fundraiser, thank you! Unfortunately, we did not reach our goal by our deadline. The way that Kickstarter works is, if you don't reach your goal, they don't charge any of the credit cards of the donors, and you don't get any of the money. Although I understand why they have that policy, that meant that we had to find another way to get the funds to open the shop, which we did. However, six months after we opened, the pandemic shutdown was upon us, and three years later, we have not recovered.

Due to the lingering effects of the pandemic, including overwhelming debt, increasing rent and ingredient costs, and staffing shortages, Miss American Pie is struggling to stay afloat. When I shared my struggle with the community on my Instagram account a few weeks ago, we received so much support and encouragement, that we decided to start a fundraiser, in hopes of staying open long enough to become self-sustainable.

Funds raised will be used to pay down debt, as well as for operating costs such as ingredients and payroll. If we exceed our goal, we will use any extra funds to grow the business, pursuing nationwide shipping and marketing to new revenue streams.

Please take a moment to read a bit about our mission and our passion to keep this business alive...

Our goal is to spread Love through what we do. Before opening Miss American Pie, I would bake for my friends/family and the response was always amazing. It was "the best pie they've ever tasted," that they "found God," and that my baking "changed their life." This response inspired me to pursue baking full-time, so I could spread that joy to as many people as possible. I tested the business model within my network and through catering engagements, which confirmed the demand and gap in the market for authentic, handmade pie. The storefront bakery was opened in August of 2019 and reviews have only grown in kindness and quantity. The overwhelming inpouring of kind reviews, encouraging interactions with patrons, and our passion to be a part of and improve the community has kept us motivated to keep pushing forward, despite many challenges.

Each time we hear someone say that our space “feels like home” or “reminds me of my childhood,” we are invigorated to keep our dreams of spreading Love alive. The mission at Miss American Pie is to provide unrivaled desserts and pastries, in a relaxed, fun-loving atmosphere, that brings joy, facilitates community, and promotes a lifestyle of authentic relationships. We are focused on building community and spreading Love, one pie at a time. In some ways, this dream is more about building authentic relationships than it is about anything else.

People need relationships. This business was started with the aim of reuniting current generations with the importance of those relationships, and how food can be a catalyst for building them. This is our purpose in life and that’s why we continue to make this work, even when it gets difficult.

We put our heart and soul into everything we bake – which has expanded to include a variety of baked goods, savory items, vegan and gluten-free options, and more. The combination of our unrivaled crust and creative varieties has propelled Miss American Pie to be one of the best in the business. Each pie is made with Love and hand-crafted to perfection. We are a small team, learning as we go, and growing as people in the process. One bite and you’ll know, it’s what Love tastes like.

So here I am, swallowing my pride, sharing my vulnerability, and asking for donations. To be honest, I've procrastinated on this for a while, because I feel embarrassed, and ashamed that I can't do this by myself. But, what I realized is that if our mission is about people and relationships and community, then Miss American Pie cannot be only for those things or about those things. It has to be built on those things...built by the community, supported by people and relationships.

Despite how difficult it is for me sometimes, I'm asking for your help. Any donation you can manage is greatly appreciated. If you can't donate at this time, please share this fundraiser within your network to help us meet our goal.