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June 27, 2004Couple plans to expand pie bizHusband, wife hope to open bakery-cafesByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Can a couple who've carved out a successful living in northern Michigan baking hand-made pies compete in a growing, but competitive, slice of the restaurant business? For Mike and Denise Busley of the Grand Traverse Pie Co., it's time to find out. The Busleys recently expanded their popular bakery on West Front Street to include a lunch menu and 30-seat dining area, and are readying plans to sell franchises in other parts of Michigan, Illinois and Indiana to develop a series of bakery-cafe restaurants. The bakery-cafe is part of the growing "quick-casual" restaurant style that offers higher-quality food and a more relaxed atmosphere than fast-food eateries, but cheaper and quicker than a full-service restaurant. Some industry analysts project a 15 to 20 percent annual growth for the quick-casual segment over the next few years, much brisker than the overall growth of the food service industry. "It's a small but growing segment that we want to be in," Busley said. "I think people like seeing real food being made these days. We're trying to be as pure to the customer as we can be." The Busleys are Michigan natives who returned from California to open the Grand Traverse Pie Co. in 1996. They created a niche in the local retail market with their fresh, high-quality pies that bring back thousands of regular customers each year. They recently expanded their offerings, adding popular items like quiche and pot pies. "We wanted a business where we could connect with people," Denise Busley said. "We're very close with our employees and our customers ... we call ourselves 'the pie family' here." It's been a successful venture, the Busleys agree, but evolving into a bakery-cafe and then into other markets is a chance to grow their business for years to come. "It's more in a vein of keeping your business fresh and vital," Mike Busley said. "The challenge is, can we create a model so others can do it, too?" The Busleys will use their original site on West Front Street as a prototype for the franchise. Their expanded operation has been popular with customers despite limited marketing efforts, which makes Mike Busley optimistic about moving the business into other areas. He said he wants patrons to enjoy a "European-style" experience where they can relax by themselves or with friends or co-workers. "I want people to be able to come in and read the paper, or just hang out," he said. "I want people to say 'I like spending time here.' " Partners in the franchising effort include Tim Rice, a former bakery/deli director for the ex-Prevo's grocery chain, and Bob Anderson, who's a partner with Busley in Grand Traverse Pie Co. stores in Brighton, Okemos and Carmel, Ind. Those three stores will also be converted to bakery-cafe operations, Busley said. The group doesn't have a specific goal for setting up new operations, but wants to initially expand in the Detroit and Chicago areas, and northern Indiana. "For years I've been kind of an anti-franchise guy," Mike Busley said. "But I've come to realize there are good ones that are doing a good job." Some national bakery-cafe chains showing solid growth include Panera Bread Co., based in Missouri, which has more than 30 outlets in Michigan and 400-plus locations nationwide, and the Atlanta Bread Co., which is expanding into southern Michigan.
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