Whistler's Famous Peaked Pies (with owner Kerri Jones) // The Exchange #035

The Exchange with Sunil Prasad

(Timecodes below)
Joining me on The Exchange Podcast is Kerri Jones - owner of Whistler's famous Peaked Pies (now with a location in downtown Vancouver's West End). They specialize in handmade Australian savoury pies, as well as sweet pies, breakfast pies, Australian style coffees and desserts.
Opening day: they had a line up, and here they are today with 2 locations and one more on the way. Kerri also talks about how she and her partner Alex started Peaked Pies back in 2013 and established a stronghold at the number 3 spot on TripAdvisor in Whistler for the better part of 5 years (more on that at 37:07).
Kerri also speaks on the importance of utilizing all social media outlets as a food-based business, hospitality as a numbers game, co-ownership with your significant other, plus more.
Thanks for coming in Kerri! Check them out here:
www.peakedpies.com
IG: @peakedpies
FB: @peakedpies
105-4369 Main Street, Whistler (Whistler Village)
975 Denman Street, Vancouver (West End)
00:01 - Introduction to Peaked Pies and their delicious pies.
01:42 - How Keri and her partner Alex started Peaked Pies.
05:25 - Expanding from Whistler into downtown Vancouver and also Burnaby
06:00 - Coming up with Aussie recipe ideas and finding what else works in a Canadian market
07:56 - Kerri and Alex moving from the hotel industry into their own kitchen and learning the numbers and process of running a restaurant
09:16 - Restaurants are a numbers game + looking to the McDonald's model of franchising/real estate/costing/etc...
11:44 - The pros and cons of being business partners with your signifiant other; complementing each others skillsets; trying not to kill each other
* 14:44 - "What would help you decide to open a food location in an area where there is food everywhere already? As a customer, what would draw you to a new food establishment?"
* 17:32 - "How do you manage a transition from a location like Whistler into an expensive real estate market like Vancouver with a potentially different demographic?"
18:54 - Competing with online delivery services and finding the appropriate balance to integrate such services into your food/service business + evolving with an ever-changing market
24:42 - Advice for chef's looking to advertise and grab consumer attention.
27:28 - Managing production and labour with Foodora and Doordash.
* 29:29 - "What are your thoughts on ghost kitchens? Would this be able to afford you more opportunity to tap into the online food ordering market?"
* 33:39 - "Do you think people can be successful in this day and age without the use of social media? How have you handled this demand in the hospitality business?"
37:07 - Peaked Pies losing their number 3 spot on TripAdvisor after roughly 5 years due to a technicality.
* 40:58 - "What's the long-game plan for Peaked Pies moving forward?"