We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Sohl a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lisa Sohl, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
Growing up on a dairy farm in Nebraska, I learned the meaning of hard work and good food! The joy of baking has always been in my heart but when I was young it wasn’t necessarily seen as a profession. So I earned an art degree and went on to working in the graphic design field… while holding onto my little bakery dream.
I knew that good Midwest baking would appeal to anyone. Made from scratch was at the top of my list… I never bought a premade crust in my life! And of course the crust recipe my Mom taught us is the foundation of my pies. I never liked “fancy desserts” – they may look nice but just ok on flavor. Cupcakes were never in my plan or anything that i didn’t feel strongly about. As someone once told me… “We need some good church lady desserts!”
Through my working years in the corporate world I was refining my recipes, creating my business plan, gathering my vintage decor, and learning from every aspect of my life to get ready for my dream. I had a vision of how I wanted my bakery to look and feel. A large family table for people to gather… cozy seating with couches and easy chairs… old fashioned pies and desserts rotating daily… great coffee… and vintage kitchen decor for all to enjoy (to me works of art).
Lisa Sohl, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
At Piehouse Bakery, we pride ourselves on creating all of our products from scratch, like grandma used to make. We want our customers to feel like they are at home here in our bakery. From our cozy seating to our friendly staff, we welcome everyone to experience our timeless classics. Since opening, we have discovered that our customer base was craving a little more so we have added a few different items to satisfy that need. From our French tarts, cheesecakes and custom layer cakes, made by our Pastry Chef/Manager, Anne Wood, to our lunch offerings such as our soup of the week and our legendary chicken pot pies. There is something here for everyone. Our customers come away with their bellies and their hearts full.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Life kind of dictates sometimes the changes that happen in business. I love what I do, I love the customers we make smile and I love my daughter, Sarah. Early on, Sarah wanted this bakery to be a mother/daughter venture but her needs were bigger than what she could handle. So I, the owner, had to not only concentrate on running a successful business but also giving my daughter who deals with mental illness what she needed from me and life itself.
It can be very difficult but rewarding. And as a woman, I make it work… having my dream, giving my customers my all and providing my daughter with the love and security she deserves.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think the biggest way we have been able to build such a great reputation is “Word of Mouth”. Our customer base is loyal and they love to sing our praises! When our customers come in, they become our family, sharing their stories and experiences with us. Our goal is that when you come into the bakery, you feel at home among the friendly faces of our staff, the bakery’s homey decor and comfortable seating. Before our customers leave, they make sure to tell us that they will “tell everyone they know”…and they do! We have so many regulars that come in weekly (and some that come in daily!) with friends and family that just “have to try our pies”. I think the key to our success is that we love what we do and we love our customers and it is reflected in our baking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://PiehouseBakery.com
- Instagram: piehousebakery
- Facebook: Piehouse Bakery
- Yelp: Piehouse Bakery
