From Hole-in-the-Wall to Mooresville Icon: How Pie in the Sky Pizza Became a Community Obsession
When a beloved Mooresville pizza shop announced it was closing, the community's response was so overwhelming they sold out of every piece of food by 2 o'clock. This is the story of how Pie in the Sky Pizza went from a hidden hole-in-the-wall to one of the coolest restaurants in Lake Norman.
For 36 years, Pie in the Sky Pizza was Mooresville's best-kept secret—literally. The original location was so hidden that even locals who'd heard about it would walk right past it, unable to find the entrance.
"We moved up here in 2018, and my wife's law partner kept saying, 'We want to go eat at Pie in the Sky,'" recalls one longtime customer. "We walked by and couldn't find it. We walked by again, couldn't find it again. You had to know to look for this one specific thing."
But when you finally found it, you discovered something special: homemade pizza that tasted like your childhood, made by a family that genuinely cared about every customer who walked through the door.
Today, Pie in the Sky Pizza sits prominently on Main Street in Mooresville, housed in a beautifully renovated building with a retro 1950s diner aesthetic that's become one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in the area. And the man behind this transformation is Daniel Whitener, who never planned to run a pizza shop but couldn't imagine doing anything else.
A Davidson Degree and a Pizza Dream
The Pie in the Sky story starts with Daniel's father, who took an unconventional path after graduating from Davidson College with a chemistry degree.
"My dad got a chemistry degree from Davidson," Daniel explains. "And the summers while he was in college, he went and worked in Hilton Head at a pizza shop. The guy who owned it, his name was Cosmo."
After graduation, Daniel's dad never did anything with his chemistry degree. Instead, he decided to pursue what he knew how to do: make pizza.
"He might be the only Davidson grad that had a pizza shop," Daniel laughs.
His father opened Pie in the Sky in a small hole-in-the-wall location, where it remained for 36 years. As Daniel's family grew, they jumped into the business. But if you'd asked teenage Daniel if this would be his future, he would have said absolutely not.
"If you asked me in high school if this is what I'd be doing now, out of custody, there's no way," Daniel admits.
The Unexpected Return
Daniel's father left the business in 2014 to return to the lumber industry, trying to slow down a bit. Daniel's sister took over running the restaurant while Daniel headed off to Appalachian State University.
But something unexpected happened while Daniel was away at college.
"While I was gone, I couldn't stop thinking about it," he shares. "I was trying to do stuff from Boone for the restaurant."
Daniel's parents told him he had to go to college, so he never really felt like he had a choice—until he realized he did.
"When I finally realized I did have choice, I came right back," Daniel says. He never finished his degree at App State, choosing instead to return to Mooresville and help run the family business.
Looking back, Daniel questions whether college is necessary for everyone. "Unless you're dying to do something that has to have a degree, I really think getting out and getting experience in things really gives you" what you need, he reflects.
His philosophy? If someone wants to open the best pizza shop, they should find the best pizza shop owner and pay them to learn the business—essentially getting a real-world education instead of a traditional degree.
The Viral Closure That Changed Everything
In 2020, during COVID, Pie in the Sky actually had a surprisingly good run. But the landlord wanted to take the original location in a different direction, and the Whiteners finally got their notice to vacate.
After the restaurant closed at the original location, Daniel and his sister—who had bought the business from their father—faced a critical decision. They owned all the equipment, but they didn't have a brick-and-mortar location.
That's when Daniel remembered a building he'd been driving past for years.
"I'd been driving by the Kim's Cleaners Pie Scout building for years, and I just thought the awning of the front, it's such a cool place," Daniel recalls.
He took a piece of notebook paper and drew out what he thought it would look like. He took that sketch to an architect, and they got to work.
But first, they had to announce the closure of the original location. What happened next shocked everyone.
"We announced we were closing in a month, and that day we sold out of every piece of food by 2 o'clock," Daniel remembers. "From then on, we had 30 days and we just wore it out."
The announcement went viral across Lake Norman. The community response was overwhelming. People who hadn't been to Pie in the Sky in years suddenly realized what they were about to lose.
"That solidified to me and my sister, like, we need to do this," Daniel says. "This is something that's important to the town and it's important to us."
Finding the Perfect Location in Mooresville
The building Daniel had his eye on—the former Kim's Cleaners at 250 South Main Street in Mooresville—was owned by the same folks who built the apartments next door. They hadn't torn it down specifically because of how cool the building looked.
With help from then-mayor Miles Atkins, Daniel and his sister connected with the MV2 folks and secured the location. The renovation was extensive—they had to dig up the floor for half the space to put plumbing in the ground.
Daniel worked with a buddy who lays tile, and they made a spontaneous decision that would become one of the restaurant's signature features.
"It was just going to be like a solid color tile, and then we were like, what if we just threw some red ones in?" Daniel explains. "There's no rhyme or reason to where they are."
The result is a checkerboard pattern that, combined with the vintage awning out front, gives Pie in the Sky a perfect 1950s diner aesthetic.
"The front kind of reminds you of a diner, and that was our whole goal," Daniel says. "We can't be happier with how it turned out."
Adams and Associates handled all the architecture work, and the transformation was complete. What was once a hidden hole-in-the-wall was now one of the most eye-catching buildings on Main Street in Mooresville.
The Growing Pains of Success
When Pie in the Sky reopened at the new location, the response was even bigger than the viral closure announcement.
"That first 30, maybe even 60 days, you couldn't get over there. It was so busy. It was insane," Daniel recalls.
The overwhelming demand created both a blessing and a challenge. Pie in the Sky does significantly more business now than they ever did at the original location, and learning to operate at that scale required major adjustments.
"We expected to be busy, but we didn't expect to be that busy. It was wild. It was a blessing, but it was also a real learning curve," Daniel admits.
The challenge was particularly acute because Pie in the Sky doesn't cut corners. They make their own dough fresh daily. They source their ingredients carefully. Nothing comes frozen except for a few items—and none of the staples.
"We get all of our—we have our homemade sausages and we get ground beef. Nothing really comes frozen," Daniel explains. "Learning how to do that at a higher level, bigger volume, was a really big learning experience for us."
Keeping It Local: The Shop 'n Save Connection
One of the secrets to Pie in the Sky's distinctive taste is their commitment to local sourcing and fresh ingredients.
Daniel's father used to make their sausage in-house, but now they work with Shop 'n Save—owned by a cousin—to produce all their sausage and meat products to their specifications.
"My dad actually works there now," Daniel shares. "He didn't like sitting at home, so he went and found a job."
In fact, Daniel's dad has "retired" three times now, most recently going back to work rather than staying idle. He worked in NASCAR for years, retired from Joe Gibbs Racing, tried retirement for six months, then started delivering mulch. He got bored again, retired again, and now he's back in the workforce.
"Once they stop, they stop," Daniel observes. "My dad will probably work to his end. I'm glad he is, because I'm going to stick around as long as he can. I love having him around. We still lean on him a lot."
When Daniel's dad worked a Super Bowl rush at the new location, he experienced firsthand just how much the business had grown.
"He said, 'I'm never doing that. I'll never do that,'" Daniel laughs. "He said, 'I'll help, I'll give you advice and stuff, but I'm not working here. I'm not doing this anymore.'"
More Than Just Pizza: The Pie in the Sky Menu
While pizza is the star of the show, Pie in the Sky has expanded their menu significantly at the new location—partly because they finally have the space and equipment to do so.
The Thursday Special: Philly Cheesesteaks
One of the most popular additions is the Philly cheesesteak, available on Thursdays.
"The Philly cheesesteak that we do on Thursdays, we can't do it every day because we just have such a small space to do it and it's just not a focus of ours," Daniel explains.
The cheesesteaks have become so popular that Daniel is considering another concept specifically for them down the road.
Appetizers and Wings
Because Pie in the Sky makes their own meatballs and sausages, Daniel created appetizers featuring these items—little skillet-baked appetizers with sausage and meatballs served with garlic bread.
The new location also has something the original never had: a fryer.
"We never had a fryer in our original location," Daniel reveals. "So now we fry wings and French fries."
The wings have become a massive hit and they sell almost more than they can handle sometimes.
"It's a good problem," Daniel says. "We didn't expect them to be as good as they are, to be honest."
Creative Pizza Combinations
Pie in the Sky still offers build-your-own pizzas, which Daniel believes is essential.
"You should eat pizza how you want to eat pizza, not how we tell you to eat it," he says.
But they've also introduced creative specialty pizzas and daily specials:
Nashville Hot Pizza - For those who want some heat with their slice
White Pizza with Sausage and Balsamic Glaze - Daniel's personal favorite, where the garlic and balsamic create an incredible flavor combination
Chorizo Queso Pizza - Features a queso base, refried beans, jalapeños, and lettuce on top if you want to "get wild"
Caesar Salad Pizza - Chicken Caesar salad on top of a hot pizza (people look skeptical until they try it)
The weirdest combination Daniel has ever made? "Anchovy and pineapple and onion," he says with a laugh. "That's not a pizza. I'm sorry."
But the beauty of Pie in the Sky is that they'll make whatever combination you can dream up.
The Daily Special Strategy
Daniel has a specific philosophy behind their daily specials: become part of people's routines.
"I like to just become a part of people's routine," he explains. "I'm not here to make a buck quick. I'm here to sell you food for 20 more years, 30 more years."
By offering different specials on different days, Pie in the Sky gives customers a reason to come back throughout the week. It's about building habits and becoming woven into the fabric of customers' lives.
"I think we've done a pretty good job of that with our specials and stuff like that," Daniel says.
This approach reflects a deeper business philosophy: focus on long-term relationships over short-term profits.
Why There Will Never Be a Second Location
Despite the overwhelming success of the new Mooresville location, Daniel is adamant that Pie in the Sky will remain a single restaurant.
"With Pie in the Sky itself, it'll probably just be Pie in the Sky forever," he says. "We might grow a little bit as a restaurant, but we won't ever have multiple locations."
Why? Because Daniel understands that what makes Pie in the Sky special can't be replicated.
"Part of what makes us us is the people and the people who work there," he explains. "It's one of those things I don't think you can recreate."
Daniel has seen what happens when businesses try to expand too quickly. Quality suffers. The personal touch disappears. The atmosphere that made the original special gets diluted.
"I'd rather have one really good one than three that you can't control or four you can't control," Daniel says. "I'm content with that."
That said, Daniel does have other ideas for future ventures—just not more Pie in the Sky locations.
Running a Family Business: Staying in Your Lane
Running a business with family can be challenging, but Daniel and his sister have made it work by establishing clear boundaries.
While Daniel didn't elaborate extensively on their working relationship in the interview, the success of their partnership is evident in how smoothly they navigated the transition from the old location to the new one.
The key seems to be respecting each other's strengths and maintaining the family values that Daniel's father instilled in the business from the beginning: treat customers well, don't cut corners on quality, and remember that you're building something for the long term.
What Makes Pie in the Sky Different
In a world of chain restaurants and franchises, Pie in the Sky stands out for several reasons:
Homemade Everything - From dough to sausage to desserts, they make it fresh
Local Sourcing - Working with local suppliers like Shop 'n Save keeps quality high and supports the community
Customization - Build-your-own pizzas mean you eat what you want, not what they tell you to eat
Daily Specials - Become part of customers' weekly routines rather than just another restaurant
Family Atmosphere - The Whiteners genuinely care about their customers and their community
Quality Over Growth - Choosing to perfect one location rather than expand and dilute the brand
Unique Space - The retro aesthetic and thoughtful design make it a destination, not just a pizza place
The Mooresville Community Connection
The viral response to Pie in the Sky's closure announcement revealed something important: this wasn't just a business, it was a community institution.
For 36 years, families had been coming to Pie in the Sky for birthdays, after Little League games, for Friday night dinners, and for countless other occasions. The pizza wasn't just food—it was part of people's memories and traditions.
When the community thought they might lose that, they showed up in force. And when Daniel and his sister reopened in the new location, that same community showed up again to support them.
This is the power of being a true local business in Mooresville and the Lake Norman area. When you invest in your community for decades, when you prioritize relationships over transactions, when you consistently deliver quality—the community invests back in you.
Planning Your Visit to Pie in the Sky Pizza
Location: 250 South Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115
Website: www.pieintheskypizzamooresvillenc.com
What to Order:
First-timers: Start with a classic build-your-own pizza to taste the quality of their homemade dough and fresh ingredients
Adventurous eaters: Try the Nashville Hot pizza or the chorizo queso creation
Thursday visitors: Don't miss the Philly cheesesteak special
Wing lovers: The wings are a must-try (and Daniel's dad's favorite)
Daniel's pick: White pizza with sausage and balsamic glaze
Pro Tips:
Follow them on social media for daily special announcements
The retro aesthetic makes for great photos—the checkerboard tile and vintage awning are Instagram gold
Parking is available on Main Street in downtown Mooresville
The restaurant is family-friendly and welcomes everyone from kids to seniors
The Future of Pie in the Sky
Daniel's vision for Pie in the Sky is refreshingly simple: keep doing what they're doing, keep improving, and keep being a place where Mooresville residents want to gather.
"I'm very confident in that," Daniel says of their single-location strategy. "I'd start to stress a lot more about how we treated folks once you start spanning locations. It's hard to keep that same atmosphere, and that's what makes us."
While Daniel hints at other business ideas in his future, Pie in the Sky will remain what it's always been—a family-owned, community-focused pizza shop that happens to make some of the best pizza in Lake Norman.
The journey from hidden hole-in-the-wall to Main Street icon wasn't easy. It required vision, hard work, community support, and a willingness to take risks. But for Daniel Whitener and his family, it was worth it.
Because at the end of the day, Pie in the Sky isn't just about pizza. It's about being part of something bigger—a community, a tradition, a shared experience that brings people together.
And that's something you can't replicate, no matter how many locations you open.
Connect with Pie in the Sky Pizza and We Are Lake Norman
Pie in the Sky Pizza
Website: www.pieintheskypizzamooresvillenc.com
Location: 250 South Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115
We Are Lake Norman Podcast
Host: Ryan Webber
Website: www.webbermarketing.com
Instagram: @ryanwebbermarketing
Email: [email protected]
Listen to the full episode with Daniel Whitener on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform to hear more about the Pie in the Sky story, Daniel's business philosophy, and what makes this Mooresville institution so special.
This podcast is produced by Webber Marketing, helping Lake Norman businesses tell their stories and connect with the community.
About We Are Lake Norman Podcast
We Are Lake Norman is hosted by Ryan Webber and features conversations with interesting people, local celebrities, and small business owners in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina. Each episode shares the stories behind the businesses and people that make this community special.
Whether you're a longtime resident or new to the area, We Are Lake Norman delivers insights into the local businesses, culture, and experiences that define life around the lake.
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to never miss an episode.
