From Street Corners to National Chains: The Sweet Potato Pie Journey That Started It All

In the late 1980s, while most of my peers were chasing the fast life—or worse—I was chasing a different kind of hustle: sweet potato pies.

Fresh out of high school, I hit the streets of New York City with one mission in mind: introduce people to a single-serve pie that spoke to the soul. No label. No packaging. Just a 4” pie and a dream.

I started selling to the spots that fed our neighborhoods—the “chicken shacks” as we called them. Crown Fried Chicken. Kennedy Fried. Mama’s Fried. Soul food joints. Chinese takeouts. Anywhere Black folks ate, I was there, sliding pies across the counter and watching them disappear within hours. The demand was instant.

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Why Sweet Potato Pie?

Because in the African American community, sweet potato pie isn’t just dessert. It’s history. It’s Sunday dinner. It’s Thanksgiving. It’s comfort. It’s the taste of your grandmother’s kitchen wrapped in love and tradition.

There’s a cultural connection here that people outside the community often overlook. And that’s why this product worked—it wasn’t just about flavor, it was about familiarity and authenticity.

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Walking the Streets… Pushing Pies

I walked some of the roughest blocks in NYC: Webster Avenue in the Bronx. 149th Street in Harlem. Pitkin and Pennsylvania in Brooklyn. While others were pushing things that broke down the community, I was pushing something that brought people together.

I was working for my godfather at the time, who showed me the spirit of entrepreneurship. He believed in the pie and knew there was a market—but didn’t see how big it could be. I did. I saw the vision early.

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From Corner Stores to McDonald’s

By the early 90s, our pies found their way into McDonald’s. Yes—that McDonald’s. In many inner-city markets, our sweet potato pie was outselling their iconic apple pie. The numbers were undeniable. They even sent tractor trailers to pick up pies from our small facility.

But there was one problem: we couldn’t keep up with the volume. McDonald’s was paying $.52 a pie, while we were selling to the chicken shacks for $.60. My godfather said, “We don’t need McDonald’s—I’m getting more from the mom-and-pop shops.” That short-term thinking cost us the account.

Still, it taught me two valuable lessons:

1. The demand is real and scalable.

2. If you can’t meet the market, someone else will.

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Not Everyone Can Compete

Since then, a few other companies have tried to jump into the sweet potato pie space. But here’s the truth: you can’t fake this. You need street credibility. You need culture. People ask, “Who made this pie?

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Why Mr. Tod’s Was Born

In 1999, I left my godfather’s company to pursue my own vision—with the help of my mom’s famous sweet potato pie recipe. By 2002, the Mr. Tod’s brand was born. From local markets to being the very first company featured on Shark Tank, we’ve come a long way.

And yet—we’re just getting started.

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The Mission Hasn’t Changed

We’ve proven there’s a market for this product.
We’ve seen the power of authentic Black entrepreneurship.
We know our pies sell—because they’re not just good, they’re real.

We haven’t gotten back into McDonald’s. Or Popeyes. Or KFC. Yet.

But I know this: the market is there. The community is still hungry. And my mission is clear—to make Mr. Tod’s the most recognized sweet potato pie brand in the world.

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Where We’re Headed Next

As we begin to expand our production capabilities, the dream becomes reality. It’ll be more than just a store—it’ll be a hub. A symbol. A legacy in the making.

Because this is bigger than pie.
It’s about building something for the culture, by the culture.
And we’re not stopping until we reach every household that knows exactly what a good sweet potato pie should taste like.

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