Pie Lady & Son Inc., an emporium of old-fashioned fruit pies made from scratch, and of other sweets, has filed for bankruptcy.
The Nyack shop filed a Chapter 7 petition on April 12 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, declaring zero assets and $65,000 in liabilities.
“The reason for the bankruptcy,” according to attorney Michael A. Koplen of New City, “was simply the fact that the coronavirus crisis resulted in a sudden, sharp drop-off in business.”
The “pie lady” is Deborah Tyler, who in 1996 posted a sign on a telephone pole that led villagers to her back porch and to her homemade pies and baked goods.
The son is William B. Tyler, who opened Pie Lady & Son in 2010 in a small space on Route 9W in Upper Nyack.
Mom was in charge of the baking. Son managed the business. And daughter/sister Bri chipped in.
The recipe for success, according to its website, was making pies Mom”™s way: all-butter crusts, seasonal fruits, sugar and flour; sold by the slice or whole pie; and showcased at farmers markets.
For those hankering for something different, they offered fresh baked muffins and crispy buttery cookies, including chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle and shortbread, complemented with Jane”™s ice cream from Kingston, and using the cookies as the “bread” in ice cream sandwiches.
Last year, Pie Lady & Son moved to a larger space on Nyack”™s Main Street next to the Riverspace municipal parking lot.
In 2018, the pie shop made $822,000, according to the bankruptcy petition. Last year it took in $805,000. By mid-April this year, revenues had dropped to $80,000.
Pie Lady & Son was left with no cash, inventory or other assets, and it owed rent on both locations and $50,000 in loans.
Oh no! This is a much loved business in Nyack. I would have hoped that real estate owners in the village would have simply cancelled or drastically lowered rent and banks would postpone loan payments during this crisis. Since everyone is not working, is that not the obvious answer, and far preferable to bankruptcy and empty buildings?
Many of these landlords depend on the rental income just as much as the businesses that rent. Ultimately, you can’t just keep kicking the can down the road.
We shared this article in a local Facebook group and people are asking for the headline to be changed as it reads like the owners have died from coronavirus.
Hey, I actually worked there for 2 years, and Bri was a HUGE part of the business. To say she “chipped in” is straight up wrong, and a huge disservice to what she brought to the business and the community. She was instrumental in the running of everything just as Wil was. Sorry, but that bothered me. This is all devastating and Pie Lady will be sorely missed. It was the best job i ever had.
I agree with Christian. Bri’s contributions were essential to the business’ continued success. So sad to hear they must close their doors.
Devastated. This business is one of Nyack’s absolute treasures. Wish we could have rallied around Will and Bri to create a path forward with a Go Fund Me effort.
What an obnoxious article! Why did you have to print private financial information? Brie and Will were the business and worked so hard to make Pie Lady the success it was. Why not write about what a beloved establishment it was and how much it meant to the community and the employees who worked there?
I am sorry to hear that this business has experienced financial troubles. From what I know about parking in downtown Nyack, the business probably suffered from a drop in business due to possible parking issues. To say that the Corona virus killed this business is not responsible or accurate reporting. This bakery/cafe was well respected and patronized for many years. Sometimes staying small has benefits. Hoping they can turn things around at some point and resume operations. I still miss the business known as The Well Bred Loaf.
I LOVED her pies!! As a former bakery owner myself, I can appreciate her skill at pie crust and will miss her amazing pies. I hope they can figure out a way to reopen sometime. There is a shortage of really good bakeries in this country.