Sister Pie, a beloved bakery in Detroit's West Village, to go on hiatus

Yahoo

28-05-2025

Sister Pie, the beloved Detroit West Village bakery known for its stunning pies, announced it is going on hiatus.
A favorite place for pie, cookies and other notable baked goods, Sister Pie stunned its fans on Wednesday, announcing on social media that it's closing, at least temporarily.
Owner Lisa Ludwinski, acclaimed author and 2019 James Beard Award finalist, cited a need for 'a period of rest and radical reconfiguration, of exploration and experimentation,' according to a Facebook post.
Ludwinski stated the need to make 'temporary, necessary changes to our operations.' Sister Pie's last day for regular business will be June 8.
'Although the spirit of Sister Pie is alive and well, I've arrived at the conclusion that the business isn't working in its current state,' Ludwinski wrote.
While Ludwinski said multiple factors contributed to the decision, one was 'most urgently in the form of a financial crisis,' though she did not elaborate.
'The year 2025 (so far) has been about confronting truth, sometimes courageously and in community, and at other times, under a blanket. As a business owner and a leader, I'm learning, reminiscing, mourning, growing, and searching for hope in the midst of challenge and chaos,' the post read.
Following the Facebook post are more than 200 comments ranging from well wishes to advice on finding its way into retail markets and sadness that the closure is happening.
During its closure, Ludwinski says they will fulfill special orders and do occasional pop-ups and events 'to keep the roof over our heads.'
Sister Pie's baking classes will continue throughout the closure.
While Ludwinski didn't say how long Sister Pie would remain closed, she encouraged fans to support its staff and visit the bakery in the next couple of weeks.
Ludwinski is known for her pies and other baked goods that hail from the Sister Pie shop, which opened in 2015. Hallmarks of Ludwinski's pies are a crust featuring a thick, crimped decorative edge, rich golden color and a buttery taste paired with a flaky texture.
Ludwinski's delightful 'Sister Pie: The Recipes & Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit' (Lorena Jones Books, $25) was published in 2018.
The cookbook shares the story of Ludwinski's distinctive pies and other baked goods, including savories, and her beloved Sister Pie bakery in Detroit's historic West Village. The year the book came out, the New York Times noted it as one of 'The Best Baking Cookbooks of 2018,' as did the Chicago Tribune.
Sister Pie and Ludwinski have received accolades nationwide, including Ludwinski's James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Baker in 2019 and 2020 and as a semifinalist in 2017 and 2018 in the same category. A huge shout-out in Bon Appetit magazine carried the headline 'We'd Visit Detroit Just to Eat at This Pie Shop.'
After spending half a dozen years in New York working at Christina Tosi's Milk Bar and Brooklyn's Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Ludwinski returned to Michigan and started Sister Pie out of her parents' home.
After winning $50,000 in the 2014 Comerica Hatch contest, Ludwinski opened Sister Pie in 2015 on the corner of Kercheval and Park in Detroit's West Village.
On Friday, Ludwinski is to appear at 6 p.m. at a sold-out event at the Loom in Wyandotte for 'An Evening with Lisa Ludwinski of Sister Pie,' discussing recipes from her cookbook along with samples.
Sister Pie baking classes include learning how to make pie dough, scones and other baked goods. Space is still available in some of the classes. For information, go to sisterpie.com.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [e-mail]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sister Pie, beloved bakery in Detroit, to go on hiatus