“Everyone has a weakness for the perfect pie. Especially me. It’s why my friends call me The Savory Pie Guy. I’ve searched the world to bring you the yummiest savory hand held pies encased in my delicious all butter crust – no mess, no fuss, just Pieliciousness!”
Zeke Mandel ‘07EMBA had completed two MBAs, one at Columbia Business School and another at the London Business School. He knew he wanted to have a food related business and began a venture in raw chocolate. “I kept hitting a wall with investors because I didn’t have a ‘food background’” said Mandel. “So I enrolled at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) in the pastry program to get that credential.”
In the process, he realized there was an opening in the market for savory pies.
“I believe that if you can identify a vacuum in the market you should run in to fill up that gap. Essentially, for me pies are “a widget.” Mandel’s first customers were soccer bars. Their customers “know savory pies” and this fit the demand.
Mandel produces about 1,500 pies in a week. “It only takes me about 3 hours to produce and package 600 pies.” His six different pies are available at Whole Foods and D’Agostinos in NYC.