Good news, pie lovers — this Haleiwa-based bakery is selling sweet and savory pies right up until dinnertime.
HI Pie Bakery & Café, located in Haleiwa Plantation Shops, is now open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays (closed Sundays). Previously, the business was closed in the later afternoon and on Sundays, but the new year is bringing all sorts of changes, according to business owner Casey Burns.
“There is a demand in Haleiwa to have more dinner places,” she says. “There’s a lot of daytime and morning offerings, so we’re trying to work into those areas that we seed the need for more options. We’re starting with 6 p.m. being as late as we’re open, but I think we could continue and go even later into the day.”
What hasn’t changed, though, is the bakery’s commitment to using quality, locally sourced ingredients to create consistently delicious products. As the business’s name implies, its classic chicken pot pie ($12) — a buttery pie crust filled with tender pieces of chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery and onions in an herb, garlic cream sauce — continues to be a signature dish.
“Signature items like the pot pies, quiche and poi banana bread are what started HI Pie Bakery,” Burns says. “We have tailored the menu to the things people like most, but we incorporate new pot pie flavors, we’re always changing the quiche flavors of the day and we have fun specials for breakfast.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, we started to get really creative with different flavors,” she adds. “We’re going to work on coming back to that. We have a turkey dinner pot pie that we make during Thanksgiving. We did loco moco recently — that turned out really good, with a fried egg on top. We’re definitely not afraid to come up with anything. A lot of times, I’ll go out to eat or go to a friend’s for dinner and think, ‘I should make this into a pie.’ There are so many options, it’s just endless.”
The cafe’s large fridge located next to the bakery display case is a newer addition. Grab-and-go items ranging from chicken salad ($9) and whipped goat dip ($9) to slices of cheesecake ($8) and whole pies ($40) are easily accessible. Also new are the 9-inch take-n-bake chicken pot pie ($48) and box of six mini carrot cupcakes ($19.50).
Of the sweet flavors, pineapple cream is the bestseller, with peanut butter being a close second. I’m partial to the latter, with its cloudlike, whipped peanut butter layer that’s somehow light yet indulgent at the same time.
“I think we’ll end up doing a coconut cream pie; we’ve had a lot of people wanting coconut,” Burns says. “I was looking back at some of our Instagram posts from over the years. There’s just so many options, and it’s just a matter of enough space in the kitchen, enough room and enough hands on deck to make all the stuff because everything’s made from scratch. But we definitely want to incorporate new, fun flavors.”
At the time of our interview in early January, the business’s online ordering system was set to launch within a week.
“Being able to order online will be really huge,” Burns says. “It’s going to really change a lot for us and really be a benefit to getting more awareness. We want to incorporate more pop-ups with other businesses, more cooking tutorials and even events in the bakery.
“I think it’s important for customers to know we want to be part of the community for the long haul,” she adds. “We want that and we’re giving it our best. At the same time, we want to keep things fresh, interesting and new, and expand our menu in fun, creative ways.”
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
