Birdella Cox Lybbert grew up in humble circumstances. She dropped out of school in her teenage years to work and help make ends meet. Her specialty -- baking. Pies were a particular favorite. Over the years Birdella mastered her craft and consistently won "best pie" at local and state fairs. Her flaky crust and depth of flavor is what always set her apart. When you came to a pie contest and knew Birdella had entered, you knew you were only going for second place. As Birdella grew older, she became affectionately known as Grandma Birdie. In 2006, Birdella passed away at 94 years old. Her heart and soul are in her recipes, and although they are held sacred to her kids and grand kids, they are not held secret. That's how Birdie would want it.
In that spirit of giving, Sharee Moss, Birdie's granddaughter moved to Post Falls, Idaho in 2012. Her husband Brad and their 6 kids live out in the woods south of state line exit in a home she designed and built herself. "We wanted to live within minutes of my mom and dad who are in Liberty Lake. That was important to me." She has fallen in love with North Idaho. "I adore the people, community, the outdoors and nearly everything about North Idaho." Nearly? "Yep, nearly. There was NO pie shop!" Brad and Sharee have always talked about opening a pie shop if someone wasn't going to in the region. Then one day, 1003 N Spokane St in Post Falls, came up for sale. "My husband dropped our kids off at school and said 'I just saw the pie shop building!'" Sharee was less excited about the idea. "It was an aqua green old home with white pillars and a coral-colored door. It needed too much work." The old Post Falls State Farm Insurance Building was built in the 60s. Since being the "go to" place for Post Falls residents for insurance in the 70s and 80s -- it has been hair salon, tanning salon, re-used clothing store and the list goes on.
Driving by the building a few more times after kid drop-off, Sharee kept getting a nagging feeling. "It was the only thing missing in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls. I don't even know if Spokane has a dedicated pie shop!" Sharee asks, "What brings people together, around the table and talking more than pie? I am just saying, you rarely see people eating pie and crying at the same time." She's referring to bringing community together, putting aside differences and loving each other through a simple slice of pie.
Enter, Birdie's Pie Shop, opened December 17th, 2019 at that very location in Post Falls. One and a half years later, their second location in Hayden, ID was opened. The cute little shops can hold up to 15 people in them and is meant as much take-home to your family as dine-in with a friend or loved-one. They serve five staple pies all the time (apple, triple berry, key lime, pecan and chocolate cream) and have seasonal and "baker specials" throughout the year. "Every year, I can't wait for rhubarb season!" says Sharee. "Grandma Birdie has the greatest rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb recipe. It was her secret weapon." They have hired a well-trained, super-star of a cast. "We are so grateful for an incredible team!" A unique part of their menu are their personal pies and "bites" dozens. "After years of going back for another sliver, we decided a slice just wasn't good enough. So we create personal pies and have decided to price them for the same or cheaper than you would get at a restaurant." At $4.95 per pie, this writer wonders if you can find a more delicious dessert option. The bite-sized pies are really different and really fun. 2" adorable pies sold by the dozen at $18. Their "large" pies are huge and priced at $28. "Again, we didn't want to compete with the 9-inchers out there at other bakeries. Grandma Birdie made full-flavor, thick, big pies. Our pies have twice the amount of filling and flavor in them than a normal pie you'd get." Lunch goers in the area will be happy to hear they have chicken and other meat pies with side salads as well.
Birdie's Pie Shop is located at 1003 N Spokane St in Post Falls and 9375 N Government Way in Hayden, Idaho. In 2023, the third shop was opened in Spokane, WA. The company provides catering for businesses and weddings too. You can order online or call 208-457-7004 (Post Falls), 208-591-6838 (Hayden) or 509-241-3192 (Spokane).
Birdie's Pie Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday. Closed on Sunday and Monday. "On Fridays, we really wanted to encourage couples to date. Dating is such an important part of our marriage. So we'll be open until 8:00pm, at least, and will stay open longer if the community wants it."