Community Highlights: Meet Amanda Wilbanks of Southern Baked Pie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Wilbanks.

Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Southern Baked Pie Company is a Premium Southern Bakery known for homemade sweet and savory pies that bring people together. Our pies are shared as gifts, used to celebrate milestones and achievements, and gathered around the table for weeknight dinners made from scratch. From the beginning, our purpose has been simple: to help people show up for one another through food.
Southern Baked Pie Company began in 2012 in my home kitchen with $400, a rolling pin, and a willingness to learn as I went.
I grew up in a Southern family where food was how we showed love. Cooking was always happening around me, but it was not until my mother in law taught me how to make an all butter pie crust that something truly settled in. I baked constantly, sharing pies with friends and family, until my husband finally suggested that if I was going to keep baking, I might as well start selling them.
I sold my first pies at a local craft fair, and before long, the demand outgrew my kitchen. My home slowly turned into a small bakery, with ovens running and racks filling every spare corner. That season eventually led to our first storefront in Gainesville, Georgia.
Today, Southern Baked Pie Company has four retail locations in Buckhead, Alpharetta, Vinings, and Gainesville, along with a growing e-commerce business that ships pies nationwide. What continues to surprise me most is not the growth itself, but how personal it still feels. Our story has always been shaped by the people who believed in us early on and by customers who continue to invite our pies into their homes and their most meaningful moments.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of our biggest challenges came from wanting to grow and choosing to invest in ourselves before we knew exactly how it would turn out.
As the business grew, we kept hearing the same thing from customers. They loved the pies because they reminded them of family, of holidays, of people and places they missed. They wanted to send those same memories and feelings to friends and loved ones who lived far away. At the same time, corporate clients began asking for something different to send to their customers and teams. They wanted something more thoughtful than a bottle of wine or a box of cheese and crackers. They wanted something memorable, humble, and unexpected.
We never imagined there would be so much demand for little pies.
Deciding to ship was a leap of faith. We believed there had to be a way to do it well, but figuring out how took patience and a lot of trial and error. My husband and I tested constantly. Boxes were dropped, tossed, and more than a few were thrown off the roof just to see what would hold.
There were no guarantees at the time. We were simply committed to figuring it out. Over time, those efforts paid off, and we became experts at shipping pies safely and consistently. Looking back, that season was a reminder that growth often begins with listening closely to your customers and trusting what they are asking for, even before all the answers are clear.

As you know, we’re big fans of Southern Baked Pie. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Southern Baked Pie Company makes homemade Southern sweet and savory pies meant to bring people together.
Our pies are rooted in familiar flavors and traditions. They are the kinds of pies you bring to a gathering, set on the table for a family meal, or send to someone you love. Over time, we have become known not just for the pies themselves, but for the role they play in people’s lives and the moments they are a part of.
Gifting is an important part of what we do. Many customers turn to Southern Baked Pie to celebrate milestones, welcome a new baby, offer sympathy, or simply let someone know they are being thought of. In the South, we show up with food. It is a cultural language of care. Food mends hearts, brings comfort, and nourishes when little else can. It is what you bring when words fall short and when a hug is not enough.
At its heart, Southern Baked Pie Company is about connection. Food on the table. People gathered around it. The small, everyday moments that quietly turn into lasting memories. Whether through our pie shops or pies sent across the country, our hope is always the same: to make it easier for people to take care of one another.

How do you think about happiness?
Talking with customers and hearing their stories is what means the most to me.
People will tell us about a pie they shared with family, a memory it brought back, or why they chose to send one to someone they love. It might remind them of a holiday, a grandparent, or a moment they did not realize they were holding onto until that pie showed up.
Being a small part of people’s lives in that way is really special. It never feels routine. Those conversations and messages are what make this work feel meaningful and remind me why we do what we do.

Pricing:

• Whole Pies $35-$40 (8 servings)
• Petite Pies $10 (1-2 servings)
• Hand Pies $4.50 (1 serving)
• Slices $4.50 (1 serving)
• Tassies (bite-sized pies) $3.33

Contact Info:

• Website: https://southernbakedpie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernbakedpie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Southernbakedpie/