Garlos stakes out new pie turf in the US

Sydney pie maker Garlo’s Pies is set to open its own branded pie stores in the US where this fast food category remains relatively unknown.

The first Garlo’s Aussie Meat Pie Shop will open for business in the suburb of Westwood, Los Angeles on 1 August, according to Business Review Weekly (BRW).

“We know we can’t rely on ex-pats and Aussie tourists to buy our pies, so we’ll need to educate and indoctrinate the locals with some clever PR and giveaways,” Garlos co-founder Sean Garlick told BRW.

Garlick said the move was prompted by a call from Australian-born ex-Walt Disney executive Peter Boutros, who said he wanted to bring pies to the Americans.

Garlick’s brother and co-founder, Nathan, and Boutros and his business partner, have formed a company with each of the two parties holding a 50 per cent stake.

The store is positioned next to a major university, and the company hopes to sell 1000 pies a day.