Pie Times are Tough

It has been a trying couple of months for the entire world.  Here on Kauai, we are blessed to be somewhat removed, so the tough times really didn’t hit us hard until the last couple of weeks.

This week has been one of the toughest of my life.  I don’t say that lightly, after surviving a 3+ year lawsuit, just to keep our bakery here in Kalaheo, some days struggling just to get out of bed.  And while my version of tough is nearly irrelevant compared to others in the world today, I am just here to share what is happening at The Right Slice… as I type.

We have seen so much support from our local community, I cannot even express my deep deep gratitude.  Our local friends and fans have really pulled together to support the staff and The Right Slice itself.  This means the world to me, and to my staff.

Unfortunately, in times when thousands of residents are now unemployed, pie is not anyone’s priority.  I get it.  I understand 100%.  Some of you may remember, I started this business in 2009, in the middle of the recession and I completely understand.

But, I also know that sometimes nothing beats a little comfort food, and while you may not be buying whole pies to share at work, a slice of comfort on the drive home from the grocery store is sometimes just what you need.

In the last couple of days I have had to lay off employees.  This is heart crushing.  We have been in business here on Kaua’i for nearly 11 years, and my staff is my ohana.  Some of them being with me over 8 years.   I am just sick.

As our sales continue to decline, we will be making more and more cuts to try to keep our heads above water and keep as many staff employed as we can.  Today, for instance, will be our last day serving fresh take n bake pot pies, out the door.  After today your options will include baked to order, or frozen take n bake.  By closing the fresh to bake pot pie service we will be able to eliminate two refrigeration units from our electric bill.  With an average $2000/month electric bill, every little bit will help.

You have already noticed that this week we have cut our hours to Monday through Friday 10-7, Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 10-4.  We are evaluating our hourly sales each and every day and you can expect more cuts to come.

We have also reinstated our Pie on the Fly Machines and you will see them coming back to life here in our Kalaheo location in the coming weeks.  While we may not be able to afford for our staff to be in house 12-15 hours a day, we can at least keep them working a few hours a day by allowing the community to shop self serve.

We are also trying to think outside the box.  We will be doing a trial run of Lihue Lunch deliveries this coming Monday, March 30th from 11-12:30.  There are more details on this on our Facebook page, so if you would like lunch delivered to your work, please place your orders by Noon Saturday.  There is a $50 minimum order per stop, but we will also be offering frozen pot pies, so you can stock up your freezer as well.  If this is successful, we will consider other parts of the island and increase the frequency.  This is another way we will try to keep our staff working.

The entire world is suffering, and we are all in this together.  Whatever the next few weeks will bring, we will be back and we will be stronger than ever.

Hold Tight, stay home and be healthy.

Sandy