Loyal Customers, Innovations, and Savory Fare Propelled JudyPie's Through the Pandemic

Judy Balunda was relatively lucky during the worst of the pandemic, but much of that luck she created herself -- with some help from RestaurantOwner.com.

"I feel very blessed," says Balunda. "We were not really impacted by Covid. I kept waiting for the 'pie' to fall, but it never did. I kept waiting to have to lay off employees, but that never happened. In fact, I had to add to my menu. It's human nature to want something sweet when we are sad, lonely, or depressed. That proved to be true at JudyPie. Guests were streaming in to buy our delicious pies."

Balunda discovered that people "just did not want to cook, and must not have wanted fast food. I think they wanted comfort pie. We make a delicious chicken pot pie and a shepherd's pie; they were selling like crazy. We started making a 10-inch savory pie so that the guest could have dinner and dessert, all homemade with one-stop. They were happy."

Balunda calls her establishment a "vintage pie shop." Everything is made from scratch, including the whipped cream, and they use no pre-made fillings.

Interestingly, what "hurt" Balunda was the end of Wednesday night Pie Bingo. "Guests would bring small toiletries in exchange for free bingo cards. They would write special notes to people who suffer with mental illness. We put the notes with the toiletries and delivered them to a community center where people who suffer would go. We also kept journals on all of our tables, and guests would write in them. I loved reading them all. That is what hurt."

The steps she and her staff took were all positive. "We increased production and the size of our savory pies, which guests could order frozen or pre-baked. We were not allowing guests inside to eat, so we added curb-side service as well as delivery." She has also added a "JudyPie Keep It Sweet" bag in three sizes. "You can order a package that includes all of our goodies in three sizes."

Implementing curb-side pick-up and food delivery "opened doors for us the most," Balunda reflects. "Offering comfort bags did, as well. Our revenue increased even more, and brought new 'pie-ers' our way." She plans to reinstitute indoor seating as soon as it is safe. "I miss my guests, and I really want to bring back Pie Bingo. My guests love winning free pie."

'And That Will Never Change'

RestaurantOwner.com helped in a lot of ways, Balunda says. "I especially appreciated the article on Outdoor Dining Support in your June 2020 issue. It offered a lot of good suggestions. The resources for Surviving the Coronavirus were also extremely helpful. The delivery and take-out webinar was helpful."

Grapevine is a small community in a "huge" tourist area. While tourism has slowed, "it will eventually pick up and so will we. My shop is located in the Christmas Capitol of Texas, and that draws crowds from all over."

Prior to Covid, she served her pie on china dishes that were her grandmother's, "and I got to meet people from all over the world as well as the locals," Balunda recounts. "I miss that the most. People love us because of our warm and sweet environment, and our delicious pie. Without that philosophy, I don't know if we would have survived. I believe in being real and giving back."

Ahead, Balunda would like to learn how to make deliveries more pleasing and efficient, and is considering offering more savory pies on the menu. Her advice to other operators? "Hang in there and try new things that can work for your business."