Last chance for Bike Basket Pies

It’s been just about exactly two years since we first heard about this girl Natalie baking handheld pies and delivering them by bike. Soon after, these pies were winning awards (and hearts and minds), and Bike Basket Pies became a beloved SF institution.

And at the end of June it’ll all be over for good. Natalie explains:

The short: the hours are rough, I have very little free time, and I have a bit of trouble paying rent despite working seven days a week.

The long: Bike Basket Pies started as something really small – another job when I already had two, but something fun, something inspiring, and something to call my own. I never expected it to much more than a creative summer project and a few extra bucks, but it quickly grew and kept getting just slightly bigger and bigger. It turned into a legitimate business and I always treated it with an intense work ethic, and initially it was a helluva lot of fun. But at it’s current state, it consumes my time and life, and I don’t get to exercise the same creativity I did at its inception.

Bummer!

Read all about this heartbreaking decision here, and then place a standing order quick so’s next week and the week after and the week after you’ll have Natalie knocking on your door with a box of heaven in her hands:

[Pie photo by Natalie]

6 Responses to “Last chance for Bike Basket Pies”

  1. Wait, she has a successful business that is “something fun, something inspiring, and something to call my own” — what else could somebody ask for? It’s taking over her life? It would have been helpful to know what else she does that’s even more important than doing something she loves, is good at, and has gotten acclaim for. Is she a medical student? Does she have a disabled child?

    • You missed the part about working 7 days a week and still having trouble paying rent?

    • Stephanie says:

      You ought to step back for a second and think about what it takes to run a food-service business all by yourself, instead of being so quick to pass judgement. I’ve never met someone who is as dedicated or hard working as Natalie, and she has every right to shutter her business on her own terms. If she’s overworked and doesn’t find joy in meeting excessive demand, then she should be able to stop without people questioning her motives. The same can be said of anybody regardless of the burden placed on their lives.

      If you’ve ceased to find happiness in your current path, take another. To hell with anyone’s opinion on the matter.

  2. Carrie says:

    Why doesn’t she just expand it and make it legit so she can actually pay rent? Then we can all get pies and she can still run this insanely amazing business.

    Basically, though, this is the worst news ever.

  3. EH says:

    Raise your prices, lady!