Justice of the Pies coming to 87th Street
Maya-Camille Broussard is the owner of Justice of the Pies, which is set to open at 8655 South Blackstone Ave. later this summer. Photo provided by Justice of the Pies.
By Tia Carol Jones
Maya-Camille Broussard is bringing Justice of the Pies to 8655 South Blackstone Ave. How it all happened can be traced back to a dream Broussard had.
One night, Broussard had a dream that a tooth in the back of her mouth turned black and she had to go to the dentist to get the tooth removed. In the dream, the dentist replaced the tooth with a shiny, new tooth that was brighter than she already had. It freaked her out, because usually if you lose a tooth in a dream, it means you are losing someone or something.
It turned out, the previous location Broussard chose, fell through. But, Broussard’s owner’s rep was able to find the Avalon Park/Chatham location in a matter of weeks. When she told her mother the address of the location, it turned out it was the former location of her mother’s childhood dentist.
“I think the dream meant, when you lose something, something better is coming your way. I lost what I thought was a perfectly good tooth, but I got an even better, shinier tooth. And, I lost what I thought was a perfectly good space, but the space that I’m in now is more than twice the size that I was interested in,” she said.
Along with more space, the 87th Street location also has space for an office and storage. While it was a challenge to transform a dentist office into a full kitchen, because Broussard grew up with challenges, it wasn’t something she was afraid of. It took a team of all minority women to design the space, which focuses on accessibility for people with disabilities. The transformation took a year and a half.
The 87th Street location of Justice of the Pies will have Broussard’s signature pies and quiches, along with a full menu that includes salads, sandwiches, ice cream and shakes. Prior to the pandemic, Broussard had started catering pot pies and sides for corporate clients. She wanted to add those items to the menu for Justice of the Pies.
“When people come to Justice of the Pies, come for the good food but stay for the pies,” she said, adding that she will have pound cakes and cookies available. Another item on the menu will be the apple cider bread pudding, which Broussard said was something that has done really well at Farmers Markets.
“Justice of the Pies historically has been a bakery that focuses on pies and quiches, but we are spreading our culinary wings,” she said. Justice of the Pies is looking at a mid- to late summer opening. Broussard is excited to get to know the neighbors in Chatham and Avalon Park and introduce herself those who aren’t familiar with her and her brand.
In addition to the production kitchen, Justice of the Pies also has a teaching kitchen, which will enable Broussard to continue her workshops that she hosts for children who live in low-income communities and are affected by food apartheid and live with food insecurities.
Recently Broussard founded the Broussard Justice Foundation to expand philanthropic efforts, expand initiatives and make a bigger impact.
For more information about Justice of the Pies, visit www.justiceofthepies.com.
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