Marion's Pie Shop in Chatham looking for new owners to continue 75-year tradition of baked savories and sweets
CHATHAM — In 20 years of owning Marion's Pie Shop, Blake and Cindy Stearns have served up an estimated half a million pies.
“Our bestselling is probably chicken pot pie or our savory seafood pie," Cindy Stearns said. "Among the fruit pies probably blueberry or strawberry rhubarb. We do a lot of prepared entrees savories and fruit, brownies cookies. It’s exhausting."
Now she and her husband are putting down their rolling pins. A Route 28 fixture for 75 years, Marion's Pie Shop, its recipes and buildings are for sale for $2.9 million.
“We’re retiring. It’s time to pass the baton,” Stearns said.
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They’ve baked a lot of pies, browned a lot of crust and satisfied a lot of customers. Every Thanksgiving Marion’s sells about 5,000 pies. Over 20 years that’s 100,000.
“Over our lifetime probably 500,000 to 600,000,” Stearns said reflecting over many years of lemon meringue and key lime.
But she doesn’t regret a single pumpkin pie or cinnamon nut roll.
Sale includes business, recipes, living quarters
“I love it. I love it,” she said. “I have some emotions with it. It’s bittersweet with us. But when you get to be 60, 65 you start thinking about enjoying the rest of your life. It will be a lifestyle change for somebody.”
The sale is being handled by Premier Commercial, real estate firm in Centerville.
“Ideally someone will purchase the real estate and company and continue the business that’s been in place for 75 years,” John Ciluzzi, president of Premier Commercial, said. “The company business brand recipes and all is for sale. There’s a two-bedroom residence attached to the retail store on under half an acre.”
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That’s a full package and Ciluzzi said he thinks there will be widespread interest from people looking to relocate to the Cape as the Stearnses did 20 years ago and in continuing with a well-known brand. The shop has been on the market since Sept. 14.
“People are looking to move to the Cape to recalibrate their life,“ Ciluzzi said, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.
Marion’s sells more than pies. Lasagna, stuffed peppers, Boston baked beans, seafood casserole are all on the menu along with oatmeal raisin cookies, muffins, kale soup, carrot cake and a lot more.
Stearns said her husband was in the restaurant business, she was from the Cape and they were looking to operate a bakery, breakfast or lunch business.
“It all worked out because I walked in to buy a pie for my father,” she recalled.
The owner was selling and the deal was worked out.
“It’s a unique setup," she said. "You live on the property. We’re here 24/7. We have a full staff in place. They’re still at work every day.
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“We take five to six weeks off in the winter to travel to the Caribbean. It’s a good life. You work hard you reap the rewards. That’s us. We’ve had our emotions with this. When is the right time? There is no good time. We’ve given this a lot of thought.”
Selling the business will give them time to relax and bake pies for fun not profit.
“We will spend the summers here, the winters somewhere warm,” Stearns said.
Owner hopes to interest someone with passion for baking
The lot is 20,871 square feet, with two buildings and a garage. Ciluzzi sees it as a lifestyle business.
“We want to sell to someone passionate about baking or being a chef – or someone who wants to learn like I did,” Stearns said.
Stearns didn’t learn from Marion whom she never met. The shop was founded by Marion Matterson in the late 1940s.
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“Marion's is an institution," Stearns said. "Marion, I saw her in the distance many times, in the back in the bakery, as a child. I never knew her. But she was strong willed, a tough cookie. I think she’d be proud we’ve continued on with her legacy. I hope whoever purchases this continues to carry on because we didn’t start this — she did.”
For now there are still pies to put into the oven.
“I am humbly gratified," Stearns reflected. "That’s all I can say at this point, for everybody, the new customers, the loyal customers.
“We’re running six days a week. We’re not done till the sale is done. We’ll continue with all the traditions like Thanksgiving. We will be here for that.”
Contact Rich Eldred at reldred@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reldredCodder.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Marion's Pie Shop in Chatham in search of new owner to take over
