Third Betty’s Pies shop in the works

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Betty’s Pies, long a hot spot for North Shore tourists and locals, is expanding with a new restaurant in the Mall of America.

The new restaurant will be Betty’s Pies’ third. A second restaurant opened in White Bear Lake in 2008.

“We’re working on getting the place open on the third floor across from the Bubba Gump (Shrimp Co.) restaurant,” said Carl Ehlenz, who owns Betty’s Pies with Martha Sieber.

The new restaurant will seat about 170 people. And like Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors, it will have a similar breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu with sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and pasties.

And, of course, pie.

“We’re family oriented,” Ehlenz said. “I don’t see us having much of a difference in prices at the mall than here. The average price per person here is $10. And they’re getting pie most of the time.”

Ehlenz believes the Bloomington mall will be a good fit for Betty’s Pies, because both the mall and the North Shore are visitor destinations.

He said the megamall attracts about 42 million visitors a year.

“It’s a worldwide destination for people to go to,” he said. “And they’re breaking ground for a hotel in December. … We’re thinking we’ll be successful.”

But will shoppers know about Betty’s Pies?

“Everybody who comes up here from the Twin Cities knows about Betty’s Pies,” Ehlenz said. “When tourists come here, they always want to stop here. We’re thinking the mall will be similar.”

And while it’s expensive to operate out of the megamall, Ehlenz sees savings in advertising.

“You don’t have to advertise at the mall, because it brings in so many people,” he said.

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