A Philadelphia bakery known for turning cheesesteak and pork roll into hand-held pies has set up shop in West Allis, according to a Facebook post from the City of West Allis, WI Government. Little Susie’s Coffee & Pie, which built a following in Philly for its walk-up-window hand pies and La Colombe coffee, says it has opened its first Wisconsin location in the city.
The news arrived Monday via a post on the City of West Allis, WI Government’s Facebook page, titled “A taste of Philly has arrived in Stallis!” Little Susie’s got its start in Philadelphia, where owner Dan Martino founded the hand-pie business in Port Richmond in late 2019, according to PhillyVoice. The Inquirer has reported slightly different timing on the shop’s debut, placing the opening in December 2019 in one account and early January 2020 in another — a discrepancy that hasn’t been resolved in the available coverage.
Little Susie’s built its reputation on single-serving sweet and savory pies with a closed crust, a format that PhillyVoice’s report says grew in popularity in Port Richmond during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the shop’s walk-up window. Menu staples have included cheesesteak, pork roll and cheese, apple, and cherry pies, along with La Colombe coffee, bagels, and even dog treats made from pie crust, per the same outlet.
From Philly Storefronts to a Growing Footprint
The chain has since expanded within Philadelphia, adding an Old City location on March 14, 2022 — fittingly, “Pi(e) Day” — at Second and Chestnut Streets, across from the Customs House, the Inquirer’s coverage of the opening notes. That shop let customers order from a window on the Chestnut Street side and pick up their pies at a window facing Second Street. A third Philadelphia location later opened in Point Breeze, rounding out a trio of shops in Port Richmond, Old City, and Point Breeze…