Marketing & Getting Clients

How to Get Clients for Your Pie Business

Getting consistent orders for your pie business means showing up where people already want to buy food. Unlike consumer products that rely on impulse purchases, pie orders are usually planned—customers know they want dessert for a gathering, holiday, or special occasion. Your job is to be the first name they think of and make ordering as easy as possible.

Your best clients come from direct relationships, local visibility, and word of mouth. A pie business doesn’t need massive reach; it needs the right people in your area knowing you exist and trusting your quality.

Who Your Ideal Clients Are

Your primary customers fall into three groups. First, there are event planners and hosts—people throwing weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, or holiday gatherings who need desserts for 10 to 200+ guests. Second are retail locations like coffee shops, restaurants, farmers markets, and bakeries looking to offer fresh pies without making them in-house. Third are individual consumers ordering 1 to 4 pies for family dinners, potlucks, or holiday meals.

The strongest orders come from people who value quality and are willing to pay $20 to $50 per pie (or more for specialty orders). They’re typically age 30+, have disposable income, and prefer local, homemade products. Geographic proximity matters significantly—your realistic delivery radius is probably 15 to 30 miles unless you’re shipping nationally. Don’t waste time on price-sensitive customers looking for $5 pies; focus on people who see pies as worth investing in.

Your Best Marketing Channels

Local Event Planning Networks

Event planners, caterers, and wedding vendors refer clients constantly. Attend local wedding expos, chamber of commerce meetings, and catering events. Build relationships with 5 to 10 planners and offer them a small discount for referrals. Many planners will feature your pies on their menus if you’re reliable and responsive. Even one planner who books you twice a month adds significant revenue.

Farmers Markets and Pop-Up Markets

A farmers market booth ($25 to $75 per week) gives you consistent foot traffic and lets customers taste your product directly. This builds your email list and generates immediate revenue. Many farmers markets allow you to set up for a one-day trial before committing. Start with one market in a higher-income neighborhood and expand after you’ve proven consistency.

Direct B2B Sales to Restaurants and Cafes

Coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries need dessert suppliers. Visit 10 to 15 local businesses with a sample pie and a simple wholesale proposal. Offer them pies at 40 to 50% off retail—if you sell pies for $30, offer them for $15 to $18. Start with one or two accounts and build from there. These accounts generate recurring weekly or bi-weekly orders.

Email List and Direct Customer Orders

Collect emails from everyone who buys from you. Send a monthly email (or seasonal for pie-heavy months like November and December) with flavors, pricing, and ordering deadlines. Offer email subscribers a small discount or early access to seasonal flavors. Your email list is your most reliable revenue source and costs nothing to maintain.

Google Business Profile and Local Search

Claim your Google Business Profile and fill it completely with hours, photos of your pies, and contact info. Encourage customers to leave reviews. Many people search “homemade pies near me” or “custom pie bakery [your town]” when planning events. Being visible in local search captures high-intent customers.

Word of Mouth and Referral Incentives

Ask satisfied customers to refer friends—offer them a $5 discount on their next order for each referral who purchases. This single tactic often becomes your best client source after your first 10 to 20 sales.

Getting Your First 3 Clients

1. Make a list of 15 people who’ve expressed interest in your pies—friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. Contact each one personally with a simple offer: “I’m taking custom pie orders for [dates]. Here’s what I’m making.” Aim for two pre-orders.
2. Visit three nearby coffee shops or small restaurants in person. Bring a pie (or a sample), introduce yourself, and ask if they’d consider carrying your pies wholesale. Leave a simple one-page order sheet with pricing and contact info.
3. Register for the nearest farmers market. Apply, secure a spot, and set a date four to six weeks out. This forces a deadline and gives you a concrete event to build toward.
4. Create a simple order form (Google Form or email template) with your pie options, sizes, prices, and ordering deadline. Share it with your contact list and on any social media accounts you have.
5. Reach out to two event planners or wedding vendors. Ask for a brief meeting to introduce your business. Even a 15-minute conversation can lead to referrals.

Building Referrals and Word of Mouth

Word of mouth grows fastest when you actively encourage it. After each order, include a handwritten thank-you note and mention referral incentives. Tell customers they can share your contact info or social media handle. Make referring you so easy that they’re willing to do it. A customer who’s satisfied with your pie will happily tell three friends if you give them permission and a simple way to do it.

Track which customers refer new business and reward them. Even small rewards—a free pie with their next order, or $10 off—cost you less than paid advertising. Many pie businesses find that 50 to 60% of new customers come from referrals within the first year, far outpacing any other channel.

Your Online Presence

You need a simple website or single landing page showing your pie flavors, pricing, photos, and how to order. This doesn’t need to be complex—a one-page site built on Wix, Squarespace, or even a well-designed Google Doc works. Include clear contact information and your ordering process (deadlines, payment, pickup or delivery). Customers will search for you online before ordering, and a professional-looking page builds trust.

Equally important is a strong Google Business Profile and an Instagram account with high-quality photos of your pies. You don’t need both, but most pie businesses find Instagram and Google to be their most useful platforms. These should clearly show what you make, your pricing range, and how to contact you.

Social Media Strategy

Instagram is your primary platform. Post photos of finished pies, the baking process, seasonal flavors, and customer orders. Use local hashtags like #[YourTown]Pies and #LocalBakery. Post consistently (2 to 3 times per week) and reply to all comments. Instagram builds visual credibility and lets potential customers see exactly what they’re ordering.

Facebook works well for building a community and sharing ordering information to local groups, but it’s secondary. Skip TikTok unless you’re comfortable with video and younger audiences. Focus on where your actual customers spend time and where food businesses perform best.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising makes sense once you’ve validated that you can deliver consistent quality and handle the orders. When you’re ready, start with $5 to $10 per day on Instagram or Google Local Services ads targeting your town and surrounding areas. Test ads showing your best-looking pies with a clear call-to-action (Call to Order, Visit Website, or Shop Now). Most pie businesses find that Facebook/Instagram ads cost $1 to $5 per customer acquired if you’re targeting locals correctly. Don’t spend money on ads until you’ve proven you can fulfill orders—early traction comes from relationships and farmers markets, not advertising.

Client Retention

• Email your list every month with seasonal flavors and upcoming order deadlines
• Offer loyalty rewards—every fifth pie at a discount, or a free small pie after five orders
• Ask for feedback and improve based on customer preferences
• Remember repeat customers’ favorite flavors and suggest them in advance
• Maintain consistent quality and delivery timelines—reliability builds repeat business
• Send a personal message for holidays or birthdays to customers in your database
• Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google and Instagram to build social proof

For more specific tactics, see our guides on the fastest ways to get your first 10 pie business customers, best marketing tools for your pie business, and local marketing strategies for pie businesses.