Pop n’ Pies

Despite the pandemic’s hardships, things haven’t been entirely bleak; one small-business, Pop n’ Pies, rose to satisfy the “knead” of the community for baked goods.

Pop n’ Pies, a local baking business, provides Las Vegas with original, fresh-baked, homemade pies, available for delivery or pickup. 

Owner and pastry chef Andrea Mclean makes pies to order with love, prepared with the “best ingredients available.” She personally delivers the pies to customers, calling herself a “one-woman-show.”  

“I enjoy seeing eyes light up when my customers get their pies delivered,” she said. “This is something I would like to stick with in the future. It makes it more personal this way.”

Starting as an Instagram passion project in 2018, Mclean said Pop n’ Pies originally started as a way for her to post pictures of what she was baking. Working as a pastry sous chef on The Strip, baking pies was something fun to do. And, it got her to step out of the realm of work she normally did. 

“I wanted to start it as a side-gig back in 2018, but I was always too busy and secretly afraid to start,” Mclean said. Last March, when the pandemic put her job on hold, it allowed her to push herself and jump into the mix.

Impacts of the Pandemic

While the pandemic hurt many businesses, Pop n’ Pies became a reality for Mclean. 

“What took me 3-4 months to build and figure out would have probably taken me years had I still been working my current restaurant job,” she said. “And, with people staying home and not going out as much, having fresh-baked pies delivered right to their homes, I feel is pretty great.”

Although it can be fun to cook at home, it can get exhausting after a while, both mentally and physically. And sometimes a baked-good from fast-food restaurants just doesn’t hit the spot. For those wanting a homemade pie without making it themselves, Mclean said she’s “more than happy to help give people a break.”  

At the beginning of the shutdown, Mclean started focusing more on her health, eating better, and being more active. 

“When I decided it was a good time to try and start the business, I just wanted to focus on making pies. With that comes a lot of experimenting and taste-testing, so my diet went completely out of the window,” she said, adding that it’s worth it if what she’s doing brings happiness to others during this difficult time. 

Mclean and her husband worked on The Strip, and the fallout of the pandemic in Las Vegas affected them personally. Especially watching businesses close and unemployment rates rise. 

“It’s heartbreaking, but I try to stay positive and hopeful that Vegas will get back up on its feet soon,” she said. “I believe that supporting small businesses is the best thing that anyone can do right now; it’s what will help keep us moving forward through these dark and uncertain times.”

Pop n’ Pies Pop-ups

Recently, Mclean became a vendor at the Vegas Test Kitchen, which just opened next to Fergusons Downtown. There, she offers a small selection of her pies daily, available by the slice for dine-in or to-go. 

“Come support the Vegas Test Kitchen, meet amazing chefs, and eat great food. You’ll most likely see me there every day they’re open, so come have a slice of pie and say ‘hi.’”

Pop n’ Pies also has select flavors available at Sparrow + Wolf (egg custard) and SoulBelly BBQ (chocolate pecan).

A Slice for Everyone

Mclean shared that she received an amazing amount of support from friends, family, coworkers, and the new customers she gets every day, adding that she’s “beyond grateful.”

In return, she’s supporting her friends, who also started their own businesses.

“I believe that supporting small businesses is the best thing that anyone can do right now; it’s what will help keep us moving forward through these dark and uncertain times,” she added.

One of those businesses is one that we’ve covered recently – the Art Cafe in East Las Vegas. Here, Mclean provides some of her pies to her friend Ana, the cafe’s owner.

“It’s a great way for both of us to support each other’s businesses,” she said. “And, it also helps provide me feedback on my pies.”

To place an order with Pop n’ Pies, send a direct message to Mclean through her Instagram page. Custom pies are available upon request. Besides ordering a pie, people can support the business by following @popnpies to get news and see new recipes.