
Rainbow-lattice pies made for One Iowa by Pie Bird Pies. Photo courtesy of Pie Bird Pies.
When the creators of Pie Bird Pies, Kristen Daily and Andrea Piekarczyk, first met at work several years ago, they instantly connected over a butterscotch custard pie with a curry-spiced crust.
The intrigue: Other people questioned Piekarczyk's choice to add the savory spice. But not Daily.
- "It was to die for," Daily told Linh.
The state of play: The women, who fell in love and later married in 2019, always talked about starting their own business. Then the pandemic hit.
- With Daily furloughed from her job and Piekarczyk working from home, they decided it was time.
Pie Bird Pies launched via Instagram and Facebook last summer and as Daily says "it kind of blew up overnight."
- Since then, Daily and Piekarczyk have been regularly selling out of their locally-sourced pies through online orders and special pop-ups.
Pie for a cause: Their creations are also their own forms of activism.
- They made chocolate-crusted "Black Lives Matter" pies with proceeds going to support local nonprofits.
- And rainbow-lattice pies to support One Iowa, an LGBTQ-organization.
What they're saying: "I think sharing food is really important to both of us and that's how we share love and connect to people, and in a larger sense, that's really how we feel like we can support our community," Daily said.
What's next: They're continuing online orders, pop-ups and selling pies at the Beaverdale Farmers' Market.
See their creations here.
This story first appeared in the Axios Des Moines newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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