OUR STORY
Windowsill Pies is Nicole Eiden and Marielle Dupré. We believe every slice of pie is an opportunity to create and share a lasting memory with others.
It all started back in fall of 2011 with a phone call, when Nicole called Marielle with an IDEA. Without a moment’s hesitation, a business partnership was born. We were both craving a creative, artistic outlet that would provide a satisfying immediacy and strengthen our connections to the community. So we harnessed the spark we had as long-time friends, combining our shared values and diverse creative styles with our passion for baking. Working out of Nicole’s home kitchen, Windowsill Pies developed a loyal customer base with sales that enabled us to rent a commercial kitchen, allowing us to grow into farmers markets on both sides of the lake. People told us they wanted hand pies, so we made hand pies! People wanted mini pies, so we made mini pies! We also made a lot of friends and fans, one of whom even surprised us with a handmade wooden windowsill display that we have since taken with us everywhere we go.
Along the way, we’ve celebrated the small goals and milestones: working with the Junior League during our fellowship year, winning the Sugar Showdown Championship on Cooking Channel, securing our federal trademark. Going through so many experiences has helped us learn even more about each other as business partners, and think about our own business in a way that we had not before.
Our next step is here - Windowsill Pies at 4714 Freret Street. This brick-and-mortar bakery has been a dream of both our customers and ourselves! We envision our European-style coffee shop as a space that welcomes neighbors both near and far. Our pies cultivate and nurture friendships in the way that good food has for generations.
We also believe that one of the best ways to help people is giving them good work and training, which leads to access to a wider world of opportunities, so we will incorporate the hiring and training of graduates from such culinary and life skills programs as Liberty’s Kitchen, Café Hope, and Café Reconcile. As we grow, we envision these alliances as central to our mission and staffing choices.
Nicole Eiden
Nicole is an accomplished writer and baker. Though she hails from Ohio (sensible Midwest stock), New Orleans has been her home since 1999. She relocated to attend film school at the University of New Orleans and never looked back. The curiosities of the city – from the enveloping smell of sweet olive on a night walk, to the street’s curbs bound tight with iron – engage her imagination. She shares her 1920s shotgun house with her husband, daughter, cat, and dog. Nicole’s varied creative capabilities and diverse skill set help bring a strong, focused vision to Windowsill Pies.
Marielle Dupre´
Marielle grew up on the North Shore, baking with her German mom and dreaming of attending culinary school. Because her dad’s a Tulane math professor, Marielle had the opportunity to attend Tulane University. However, even after earning her B.A., her pastry dreams remained strong. In 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina, Marielle left for San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy. After moving back home three years later, and having worked in numerous high-end restaurant and hotel kitchens since then, she is thrilled to now be creating seasonal, locally-inspired desserts for her own business. She also loves cooking dinner at home and watching British detective series with her cats, Miette and Ursa Bean.