DETROIT (WXYZ) — Sister Pie, the popular bakery in Detroit's West Village neighborhood, will be making changes to its operation early next month.
Watch Meghan Daniels' video report:
Owner Lisa Ludwinski posted to the bakery's Instagram page on Wednesday morning that the "temporary, necessary" changes come in the midst of "challenge and chaos."
"Although the spirit of Sister Pie is alive and well, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that the business isn’t working in its current state. There are multiple, intersecting factors that contribute to this, and most urgently in the form of a financial crisis," Ludwinski wrote in the post.
She spoke to us on Wednesday after making the post on Instagram. She said the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard and they have been struggling to recover every since.
"At the beginning of 2025, it became clear that something really radical had to happen in order for us to kind of climb back," Ludwinski said.
Hear more from Ludwinski in the video below
According to Ludwinski, starting the week of June 9, Sister Pie won't be open for regular business hours.
She said in the post that instead, the business will enter a period of "rest and radical reconfiguration, of exploration and experimentation, and of occasional pop-ups and events to keep the roof over our heads."
She did say that people will still be able to satisfy their Sister Pie cravings periodically.
Ludwinski also wrote the bakery will still be fulfilling special orders and teaching baking classes throughout the time. You can sign up for baking classes on the Sister Pie website.
"We are selling at Eastern Market over the summer, there's going to be new classes that we add that are going to be available for people to take," she said.
She also reminded people that the best way to support the staff during the transition is to visit the bakery in the next couple of weeks, spread kindness and tips.
Ludwinski said that she doesn't know how long it will last or what Sister Pie will look like when it comes back, but encouraged people to email her if they'd like to be in touch.
"I love this place, I love this neighborhood and my goal is to do what I can to make sure we stay here for a very long time," Ludwinski said.
The bakery just celebrated its 10th anniversary on Kercheval in West Village. Sister Pie opened in 2015 after winning the Hatch Detroit contest, plus a fundraising campaign that included a 24-hour dance party, according to the website.
Ludwinski has also been nominated multiple times for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker.
According the bakery's "about us" page, Sister Pie is a "triple bottom line business, focusing on employees, environment, and the economy."
