Press Releases

Grand Traverse Pie Company Celebrates 10 Years!
A Birthday Celebration Throughout the State – Sunday, October 29
FREE PIE SERVED AT NINE LOCATIONS 11 A.M TO 5 P.M.

(Traverse City, Michigan) – October 17, 2006 – Grand Traverse Pie Company, a destination café famous for its cherry pie will celebrate 10 years of hand-crafting homemade fruit pies on Sunday, October 29 throughout the state. The GT Pie Company team will serve up FREE Slices of its famous fruit pies from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in nine Michigan locations.

The Grand Traverse Pie Company (GTPC) was founded in 1996 by Mike and Denise Busley in the Cherry Capital of the World, Traverse City, Michigan. The original business is still operated by Mike and Denise. It strives to set the example and serve as the model from which all other GTPC shops evolve. Each of the nine GTPC Wi-Fi bakery cafés serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Catering and gourmet gift baskets complement each store's menu.

President and founder Mike Busley, describes GTPC as a "quick-casual restaurant featuring high quality food, using the freshest northern Michigan ingredients in a relaxing upscale atmosphere." From the likes of superstar chef Mario Batali, who praised GTPC's famous Cherry Cobbler pie as a "religious experience", to legions of loyal customers who visit from all parts of Michigan and the Midwest, this unique bakery café has built its reputation based on more than 50 varieties of handmade, from-scratch pies, gourmet meal options that include the "soon-to-be" famous chicken pot pie, classic quiches, soups, salads, and sandwiches – all of which are served with a SMILE reminiscent of Northern Michigan in every location.

"We have a passion for pie, for servicing the customer, and bringing a taste of Northern Michigan to the folks throughout the state, and hopefully beyond," said Busley. "Our business has grown beyond Traverse City due to the same passion that our franchisees and their employees bring to our Bakery Café concept. We're in the people business, not just the pie business."

Busley said that in addition to the opening of its newest location in Ann Arbor, other franchises are slated to open in Northville, Plymouth and Grand Rapids. In a time when Michigan's economy has taken a serious downturn, Grand Traverse Pie Company continues to use indigenous, fresh products that reflect the state's bounteous agriculture, serve as a focal point for agri- and cultural tourism, and provide employment to Michigan residents. During this tenth anniversary year, GTPC has nearly 300 employees and by autumn of next year that number is expected to grow close to 500.

Nine Franchise locations include: Ann Arbor, Brighton, Burton, Mt. Pleasant (opening in early December – just in time for holiday pie purchases), Norton Shores, Okemos, Petoskey, Sterling Heights, and Traverse City. All will serve FREE Slices of Pie on Sunday, October 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.