Today we’d like to introduce you to Oreste Cardillo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2019, my husband and I decided to move back to the US. I met him in Cape Town, South Africa, after falling in love with the country while on a quick holiday a few years before. Life in South Africa was good, but I missed the US and needed to come back.
In January 2020, we finally arrived in Chicago with a total of three suitcases. The rest of our furniture was due to ship at the end of February. Fast forward to March 2020, and the world was on lockdown due to the pandemic. My husband was interviewing with a financial services company in Schaumburg at the time. He had gone through seven interviews in total only to be told that they were putting the position on hold.
By June, we decided we needed something to do. The job market had dried up, and we were tired of living in a one-bedroom corporate apartment in downtown Chicago. We knew we had to do something quickly! Ports were still not open, and our personal effects were still stuck in Cape Town. We decided at that point to open a bake shop in Lakeview. The first year was remarkable. We had made numerous “top 10” and “best” lists without having any prior commercial food experience.
By the end of our second year, we had completely outgrown our space in Lakeview and needed to look for a potential second shop. A friend who was living in Conway told us about the House of Pies and that it was up for sale. We went to go and have a look, met with Cindy, the previous owner, and fell in love! We love the area, the people, and the town!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing in life is easy. It was never going to be a smooth road. We have had numerous challenges, mostly of the staffing variety. In addition, opening a business in the midst of the pandemic was challenging because of mask mandates, cleaning protocols, and ensuring healthy employees. Many businesses shuttered while we were open. We kept people coming through the doors by offering great food and great customer service!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Our little bake shop in Chicago was known for its “all-butter” crust! In addition, we opted to use quality, premium ingredients – the best flour, the best fruit, the leanest meat for our savory pies, etc.
We are most proud of the name that was made over the last two years:
https://www.dotandpin.com/2021/11/occu-pied-with-12-favorite-pie-places.html
https://wgnradio.com/bob-sirott/the-beat-cops-guide-to-pies-pies-and-more-pies/
https://zaubee.com/category/south-african-restaurant-in-grand-chute-d72rb8x4
https://chicago.eater.com/maps/best-empanadas-chicago
Contact Info:
- Website: www.houseofpiesalanson.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofpiesalanson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseofpiesllc/
