With A Personable Proprietor, Loyal Customers, And Delicious Pies, Morrison's Fried Pies In Arkansas Is A Winning Recipe
By Sarah McCosham|Published April 28, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
It’s common knowledge that everything’s better when fried. Oreos? Better when fried. Potatoes? Obviously! Pies? Yes — a thousand times yes. And while you can find the culinary masterpiece known as fried pie all over the country — and especially in the South — in Arkansas, folks know the best fried pies come from Morrison’s.
Morrison’s Fried Pies opened in 2017 as the “second act” of Edgar Morrison, who’d spent nearly two decades in construction. Word quickly spread about these impossibly flaky and tasty pies, and the blue-and-white checkered food truck selling them. Today, ask anyone in Arkansas where to find the best fried pies in the state — possibly the country — and undoubtedly, they’ll send you to Morrison’s. So how did this tiny but mighty, locally owned-and-operated food truck in Arkansas achieve bonafide icon status in just a few short years? Well, it’s the winning recipe of the most personable proprietor, best customers, and unbelievably delicious product.
Interested to learn about other unique American small businesses? Our Small Business Spotlight series highlights the often-overlooked work of small business owners across the country, from Maine to Southern California.
There’s a scene in the classic children's book, "Harold and the Purple Crayon," where the Crayola-wielding protagonist conjures up an entire picnic of pies. "There was nothing but pie. But there were all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best."
The tot then feasts on pie and shares his bounty with a hungry moose and "deserving porcupine." Well, we have a feeling Harold would approve of Morrison's Fried Pies in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Hailed as the best fried pies in Arkansas, Morrison's Fried Pies opened its doors -- or, windows, as it were -- in 2017 and word quickly spread about this tiny-but-mighty pie shop on wheels.
"The first day we opened, I went in and made a good selection of pies," muses proprietor Edgar Morrison. "I told my wife, Teresa, to call me later to tell me how it was going and I went to the job site." Morrison worked in custom home building at the time, a career he'd had great success with for 18 years. But not like the success he'd have with his fledgling pie shop. "At 11 o'clock, she [Teresa] called me to tell me that we were sold out of pies! I left the job site to go make more and never returned to construction again," he says.
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Let's back up a moment, though, to see just how Morrison's Fried Pies came to be.
"I was raised in my dad's bakery where I learned how to make our fried pies along with other pastries," explains Morrison. "I had my own bakeries after my dad retired and then later I got out of the business altogether and into other businesses" -- namely construction.
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Compelled to revisit his father's old recipes, Morrison searched through his storage area and was delighted to discover an old suitcase that held the recipe book.
"I got the ingredients for the dough and some peaches for the filling and I bought a little deep fryer and made a batch up. My family had never had any of my dad's fried pies[...] and were amazed at how good they were," he says.
Not long after, Morrison -- guided by his faith -- felt like he needed to pursue this newfound hobby further. "So I made some [pies] and took them to the Farmer's Market to test what others thought about them," he says, adding that "the response was encouraging, to say the least!"
So Morrison decided to pursue his newfound passion further. He "visited the first food truck I had ever been to, and began to feel that I was supposed to go in that direction."
With a background in design and construction, Morrison drew up ideas for a food truck, eventually heading to Eagle Body in Springdale, Arkansas, to purchase a trailer.
After a few designs and a bit of self-doubt, Morrison took his blueprints to the pros at Eagle Body, who were amazed at how detailed and spot-on they were.
"Now being in that trailer for over six years, I can tell you that the layout was 'perfect' from day one, except for the one thing that I decided to add afterward... a soda fountain that was later removed," he says.
The truck's design wasn't the only thing that was perfect – the pies themselves were the Platonic ideal of fried pie perfection – much to the pie proprietor's surprise.
"I never expected so many people would be so excited over our pies, or any other pie for that matter," he says. "Since I was raised around them, they never seemed that big a deal to me... just something we made that tasted good. Now we are in all sorts of write-ups, blogs, social media sites, and articles like this one! I am blown away at how big a deal the fried pies are to people."
With a solid repertoire of sweet pies, Morrison's has expanded into the savory realm, offering comfort classics like Philly cheesesteak pies, beef pot pies, and even spicy enchilada pies.
Morrison is quick to note that not every pie has been a smashing success. "Our customers are very understanding when I mess something up, like the time I glazed a crawfish pie thinking it was a cherry pie," he remembers. "All the customer had to say was 'That was the strangest cherry pie I have ever bit into.'"
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It's these customers to whom Morrison attributes the success of his eponymous business -- and truly make his job a joy. "We have the BEST customers in the world! They are always telling me how our pies have brought joy to them and their relatives," he says.
Morrison shares one of the best compliments he's ever received: "A customer told me that her mom use to make her and her dad apple fried pies, but her mom passed away a few years earlier. She took one of our apple pies to her dad and she said that when he bit into it he teared up," he recalls. "Now that makes it all worth while."
In the last 5+ years, Morrison's Fried Pies has weathered a pandemic and gained national notoriety for its delicious pies. But this isn't why Edgar Morrison considers his business a success. For him, it's the support, love, and loyalty of his community that makes going to work each day a joy -- and what a beautiful thing that is.
Many thanks to Edgar Morrison for sharing the story of his delightful business. Learn more about Morrison’s Fried Pies at its Facebook page or drop them a line at morrisonsfriedpies@gmail.com.
Of course, Morrison’s Fried Pies is just one of the Natural State’s standout small businesses. Please nominate your favorite attractions and businesses for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Only In Arkansas article. And be sure to follow Only In Arkansas on Facebook and Instagram to learn about the Natural State’s most incredible places, attractions, and events.
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