|
|
Saturday, September 5, 2009
|
|
Seeking a bigger share of the pie
Senior Reporter NISSWA - A well-known lakes area dessert label is looking to expand both its reach and its physical location.
Mary Etta's Pies, baked in Nisswa, have a following of their own in the lakes area. Namesake Mary Etta Durham, who grew up in Jenkins, began making pies as a side business about 1993. Durham is still involved in making the pies, but in 2001 she sold her business to Ron and Cyndi Burnard, owners of Sportland Cafe in Nisswa.
Ron Burnard said he often gets himself in trouble by taking on additional projects so he initially turned Durham down when she offered to sell the pie business. When Burnard told his wife, he smiled when he said he found himself in trouble again.
"She said, 'I think you better think about that a little bit,'" he said of the initial decision to say no.
|
|
|
|
Ron Burnard, who with his wife Cyndi, owns Sportland Cafe and Mary Etta's Pies, is looking at an expansion of the business and the pie business.
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
|
|
|
|
|
The Burnards purchased the pie business, moving it into a corner of their Sportland Cafe kitchen in Nisswa. The cafe is on the corner near Schaefer's Foods where Highway 371 meets County Highways 77 and 13. They purchased Sportland Cafe in 1998.
They were looking for a family business opportunity and Ron Burnard had a history as an executive chef. Their four children all worked in the business, which Burnard described as having chef-made meals such as walleye and ribs at affordable prices - with dinners ranging from $8.95 to $11.95 or a chef burger - hamburger topped with ham, turkey, cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato for $6.50.
While the cafe is open, with customers in for coffee and lunch Wednesday, Burnard said there continues to be a perception the business is closed. Burnard said that perception has been a bigger hurdle than the recession. Part of the problem may be the nearby "for sale" signs for the closed convenience store next door.
With the growth potential in the pie business, Burnard said he is working on a move from the current leased space and has a couple of area locations as possibilities. Burnard is in talks with the city of Nisswa, specific property owners and with the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College and Hy-Tec Construction of Brainerd.
|
|
|
|
Pies line the display case at Sportland Cafe in Nisswa. Mary Etta's Pies moved into the Nisswa business in 2001.
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
|
|
|
|
|
If all goes well with the city, Burnard said shovels could begin turning earth for construction at a new site in October. He plans to get a preliminary review from the city on Tuesday and be on the city's agenda on Oct. 5.
Additional expansion areas include adding gelato, the Italian soft serve ice cream, a retail shop and catering room in a cafe that seats 120. Plans include a larger production area for the pies, with new ovens that allow entire racks of pies to be moved in for cooking and out for fast cooling. Sportland Cafe offers catering now, but Burnard said a move to a new building would allow them to expand that service and grow the pie business, which he said has been limited in its growth because of space constraints.
The Burnards employ about 31 and could add about a dozen more jobs with the proposed move and expansion. Burnard worked as a chef at the Channel Inn for about 10 years. The Brainerd High School graduate grew up in Nisswa.
The Burnards have another avenue they are exploring for product expansion through the Mary Etta brand working with fundraisers. Currently the pies are sold in nine lakes area stores and through a small distributor in Iowa and in southern Minnesota. Beyond the pies, Burnard created his own barbecue sauce and has jams and jellies.
The Burnards plan to work with area churches, schools and youth groups to offer Mary Etta's Pies for fundraiser sales where the groups actually sell the pies to raise money for projects. Experience with a traveling softball team has Burnard convinced of the potential.
|
|
|
|
Sportland Cafe is on the stop-light corner near Schaefer's Foods where Highway 371 meets County Highways 77 and 13 in Nisswa. Ron and Cyndi Burnard purchased Sportland Cafe in 1998.
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
|
|
|
|
|
"We know it will be successful," he said.
Last year, Mary Etta's Pies sold 26,000 pies, or about 500 a week. The work with fundraising groups is expected to boost winter pie sales.
Burnard said he is working to present the pies to the corporate decision makers with Von Hanson's Meats, which has a store in Baxter. If the company picks up the pies, it could open 21 stores for the product with a chain order of 1,000 pies at a time.
And Mary Etta's Pies is trying to get into Super One Foods stores and into the Minnesota State Fair. They've dabbled with two- and three-inch personal pies. Burnard even sent a letter to the company in charge of food at the new Twins baseball park using the natural hook of quintessential America icons of baseball and apple pie.
Burnard said he realizes not all those campaigns are likely to be successful, but he hopes some will stick.
"If something sticks, business will take off," he said.
If all the plans come together for the new building, Burnard said they could be open there by year's end. Burnard said with land and the building, it would be about a $1 million investment. With the recent withdrawal of the building plans for a nearby McDonald's restaurant by the developer, Burnard said he wanted to get before Nisswa officials as early as possible to work building details out before too much time goes by this fall.
"I hope to be ready in October to get the approval," he said.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
|
|
|
 Top Commented Articles
Over the last 7 days
Most Recent Comments
|
|
|
|
Thinking about a New Job?
These employers want you!
|
Loading...
|
|
|
Today's Best Classifieds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
