This is a story about the nation’s transportation infrastructure, but we’re going to begin by talking about pot pies rather than potholes.
There’s probably no one better to hold forth on the subject of those tasty little savory pies than Logan Niles. A self-described “flour whisperer,” Niles is the founder and CEO of the Pacific Northwest-based Pot Pie Factory. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, she went on to operate Blue Nile, an upscale private catering company in New York City, for a decade before relocating to Seattle.
Since 2016, she’s focused on conjuring up succulent pot pies – the ultimate comfort food – combining fillings simmered to perfection with herb-studded, buttery crusts. Among her mouth-watering offerings: barbecue pork pot pie, salmon chowder pot pie, and of course the all-time favorite, classic chicken pot pie. She also creates pies that are gluten-free, halal, paleo or vegan.
It was just last year that Niles made a big move to scale up her business, and she chose a location in West Seattle. Located on a peninsula just across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle, West Seattle is a community of tree-lined streets, well-kept residential homes and condos, and shopping districts filled with eclectic small businesses. Niles dreamed of expanding from strictly online sales to open a bricks-and-mortar establishment also that would serve the family-friendly neighborhood. But in the meantime, the location was just a hop, skip, and jump across the West Seattle Bridge – a soaring high-rise span with a great view of the downtown skyline – to the SoDo warehouse district where most of Niles’ suppliers were located. All the pieces seemed to be fitting nicely into place.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit the Seattle area early last year. That put a temporary damper on the idea of a dine-in space, but Niles’ online business thrived as people abiding by stay-at-home guidelines ordered pot pies – the ultimate comfort food.
Then came another gut-punch. West Seattle’s primary connection to the rest of Seattle – the bridge that Niles and 100,000 other travelers every day used to access the rest of the city – was abruptly shut down in March 2020 when engineers discovered several alarming cracks in the concrete of the 40-year-old structure. West Seattleites had to detour miles out of the way to get to their destinations. That was manageable, at least, while the stay-at-home order was in effect. But once Covid restrictions eased and people started heading back to work, the traffic congestion became intolerable. More than a year later, the bridge closure is still in effect.
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