New Zealand-style pie shop finds home in Decatur

In Decatur, a small pie shop is bringing big flavor from half a world away.

Heaps Pies on Ponce De Leon Blvd. has been open for a year.

It serves authentic New Zealand pies, features a rotating menu, and is owned and operated by a New Zealand native who is sharing a taste of home.

Jake Harvey moved to the United States from Wellington 13 years ago with a vision. 

"I was going to do this in New York," Harvey said. "I had plans of my own pie shop in Harlem, but that fell through, and I needed a new city that was more affordable than New York City to start my own pie journey."

Enter Atlanta, where Harvey set his sights on his shop. 

Eight years later, he opened Heaps Pies.

He has been passionate about pie-making since his youth and cooking with his mom, and is generally self-taught.

"I always knew what it should look like," Harvey said.  "Lots of trial and error and even YouTube. I pretty much taught myself how to make the pies with a little help from other people."

He and his wife Ana now run the Atlanta shop with the help of a few cooks. 

The shop is small, cozy, and homey, with a couch and walls and shelves covered in photos and trinkets from Harvey's New Zealand home.

"We want everyone to feel welcome here," Harvey said. "That's why I've got a living room set up over here."

He even serves customers before the store opens at 11 a.m.

"There's people that come weekly ... twice a week and just hang out with us and just chat with us at the counter all the time," he said.

As for the main event, they are more filling than they look.

"A lot of people say, 'Oh, so cute.' It's like a cute little pie, but they're packed. They're heavy. All you need is one for lunch or dinner, and you'll be good."

Some of the selections include beef, Thai chicken curry, chicken pot, chicken marsala, and spinach ricotta.

The shop is closed on Monday for baking and prepping. Otherwise, lunch is served at 11 a.m.

Heaps Pies also serves a fish and chips meal until 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.