The Harlem Pie Man: Our customers have historically been the local residents of Harlem and this year we are working to expand that reach

My journey into the world of baking and pie making started about 23 years ago, thanks to a man named Hilton. He noticed my interpersonal skills and he gave me the opportunity to sell his pies in Harlem, New York on 125th street. After about a year of selling Hilton’s pies I began making my own bean pies. As a child, I always used to watch my mother bake cakes, pies and cookies and I was, frankly, ready to be my own boss. With just a modest budget, minimal ingredients, a wooden spoon and a bowl, The Harlem Pie Man was born.

Initially, I was only able to make six pies at a time. I would go out, sell pies and then immediately come home to make more! Not long after venturing out on my own, I met my lovely wife, Aliya. With her help, we were able to open a bakery in Harlem’s former indoor market, Mart 125. Unfortunately, we were one of the many businesses displaced when the Mart was permanently closed.

Undeterred, we baked pies from our home kitchen, which we eventually outgrew. In September 2013 we had the great fortune of being accepted into Hot Bread Kitchen’s Incubator in East Harlem, where we continue to produce today.

Alongside my wife, we are able to express our love of baking and live by the simple motto: pray and go to work! Maybe, there are many things that I can do as a person to give happiness to others, but providing high quality baked product is my chosen path!

My wife and I are the sole owners of The Harlem Pie Man. We bake cakes and pies from scratch focusing on high quality ingredients and dedication to our work. Our customers have historically been the local residents of Harlem and this year we are working to expand that reach. We have been actively working to pick up new accounts and are happy to say that we have recently been chosen as a vendor for Whole Foods Market, starting within the next several weeks. We have also recently brought our 20 year old son onboard to formally work in the business.

As the business continues to grow, we need to make necessary purchases that will increase the efficiency of our production process as well as allow us to fulfill larger orders. We are therefore requesting a loan to make the following purchases:

A portable sheeter: $1,733.43
Dry inventory (Pie pans, boxes, canned goods, flour, etc): $2,678.73
Refrigerated inventory: $2,500
Marketing materials: $1,500
Working capital: $1587.82