We had the good fortune of connecting with Gracie Santos Guce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gracie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I am what some people call an “accidental entrepreneur.” At the start of lockdown during the pandemic in 2020, I decided to bake pies, something I had never done before, to cope with the stress of staying indoors and not being able to see my family or friends. The first pie I ever made was a strawberry rhubarb pie. It turns out I had a knack for baking pies! I started an Instagram account just to document the different pies I was making and when people started to get word that I was making them, there was all of a sudden a demand. I started baking as coping mechanism, not to start a business. But as demand grew, I quickly realized that turning it into a business was a natural step.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
grayseas pies is special because not only do I make the classic flavors like apple and pecan, but I also incorporate my Filipino-American heritage in my offerings like chicken adobo pot pie or ube macapuno. I like to think of my pies as a conduit for Filipino flavors. Business-wise, I got to where I am today by making decisions best for the business. I quit my full-time job, which as a difficult process and I suffered repercussions from that, legal and financial repercussions. In the end, it was the right decision, but it was not easy. Along the way, I’ve learned that not everyone is going to support you in your decision to start a business and you just have to persevere if you know that starting a business is what you want to do. I want the world to know that I did not start a business to make the most profit, I started grayseas pies to share my passion and my love for Filipino food and to raise money for social justice. I aim to fundraise for different nonprofit organizations at least once a month and I will continue to do that as long as grayseas pies lives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First and foremost, I would take my best friend to see Tita Lei at Oriental Mart, the longest standing Filipino restaurant in Seattle, tucked away in Pike Place Market. I would tell them not to eat anything that day because Tita Lei’s portions are more than healthy. I would also take them to Musang, CheBogz, and Family Friend, some of my favorite Filipino restaurants. A little outside of Seattle, I would take them to Sushi Kaunta, which serves my favorite sushi Omakase in Kent. Another favorite is The Hideout, a small, dark bar in First Hill and my favorite museum, The Frye.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out Entrepinayship, an online business course started by Anna Marie Cruz, for helping me in my early stages of my business. The mentorship was invaluable and I wouldn’t have otherwise met April Werle, my batch mate, who recommended me for this interview.

Website: www.grayseaspies.com

Instagram: @grayseas.pies

Facebook: www.facebook.com/grayseaspies

Image Credits
Bryan Kang, Nelson Lau, Michelle Rada Trenter

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