Review: Good Pie Company

BY NUHA ISLAM

Driving down University Drive past the massive Super Target, a brightly colored tie dye bench will draw the attention of drivers and passengers alike. The eye-catching little advertisement directs folks to an unassuming shop across the street; a humble little pie shop known as the Good Pie Company.

Founded by Frank and Marti Reich in 2013, the pie shop is located 5665 S University Dr, Davie, FL 33328 next to ACE education. The outside, marked by the word ‘Bakery’ in plain red letters only hints at what’s inside.

Stepping into the store, was like stepping into another world,” CCHS sophomore Svetlana Johnson said. “As soon as the shop door closed, I felt like I was transported to a quaint cottage on the outskirts of Yorkshire, England.”

Pies and various desserts lined the glass counter backed by a brick wall, creating an ambiance that is warm and inviting. The shop front is shared with JW bakers, but the Pie Company extends its business beyond the store; most of the baking, planning, and marketing take place in the home of the owners.

“That’s the way it’s always been, from when we first started out,” owner Frank Reich said. “When we became over-flooded with orders and hit the legal maximum to sell out of our home kitchen, we moved in with JW bakers into our current location.”

Frank, a former engineer, comes from a line of family who reportedly “can’t boil water.” He says his wife, Marti was the one who came from a family of cooks. Regardless, they have been cooking desserts together for over 20 years now.

“We took a road trip across Route 66 and watched some of the best bakers make their food. That was such an influential part of how I learned to bake. Today I make around 80% of the deserts.”

And learn to bake he did; the little shop has a steady stream of people walking in and leaving with pie-ladened bags.

“Everything we sell is handmade, nothing is frozen. It is what separates our desserts from mass market ones. If we ever franchise our shop, I want to ensure we maintain that integrity,” Frank said.

This highlights the main problem that Frank and Marti encounter with trying to expand their business.

“While we love to expand our company and bring our pies to more people, we really don’t want to sacrifice the quality that comes with our name. We are looking at potential sister locations currently, and trying  to figure out ways how to ensure products are made locally.”

The Good Pie Company is just one of the many mom and pop stores that are important to Cooper City’s local economy. They help fill up the gaps between anchor stores and provide specialty products.

“I think stores like ours help paint the character of small towns,” co-owner Marti Reich said. “We provide an experience that won’t come with a trip to Walmart. That’s why we spend so much time and effort decorating our store front.”

Described as a ‘bloggers’ dream, the shop maintains an aesthetically pleasing floor year round with seasonal decorations. This spring, the store features an artistically drawn wall chalkboard mural, and color coordinated food displays.

As for the pie menu, the company totes the idea of the dual nature of pie; sweet and savory and offers a wide variety of both. You could easily spend a full day in the shop and not go hungry.

For this review, the most popular pie was picked: apple. As Frank Reich says, “You can always judge the quality of a dessert shop by tasting the classics. If they don’t have those down, you can’t be sure about the rest of the stuff.”

As expected the pie was amazing; everything from the perfectly flakey, buttery crust to the filling which was the perfect median between gooey deliciousness and softened apple bits. As a person who grew up on grocery store pies, the quality difference of the pie was not something I expected.

“The pies there are so good,” CCHS senior Nicolle Mellor said. “ The amount of love that goes into every pie, down to the very last glazed blueberry, or creamed spinach is evident simply by walking into the store. My family gets Thanksgiving and Christmas pies from them.”