Owners Kaci and Dave Shirey of Piper Belles Wood Fired Flatbreads at the Broad Street Market
Pizza is back at the Broad Street Market.
Piper Belles Wood Fired Flatbreads churned out its first pies, topped with BBQ meats, for hungry customers on Thursday at its new stone market building stand in Harrisburg.
Owners Dave and Kaci Shirey have operated their food truck, Piper Belles BBQ, named after their daughter, for the past nine years, traveling to local festivals and events. Over the years, the business grew a strong Harrisburg customer base.
“People were always asking when we were going to open a shop,” Dave said. “We love Harrisburg and wanted to be a part of the community here.”
Blending Kaci’s background of working in pizza shops and Dave’s BBQ specialty, the husband-and-wife duo decided to try something unique and start a second business, this time without wheels.
At the new market stand, which opened on Nov. 2, they pile their smoked meats and homemade BBQ sauces on flatbreads.
The menu includes pizzas like bourbon bacon brisket, brisket and brie, chicken bacon ranch, and “The Porky,” which is topped with pulled pork, gouda and bacon. White sauce and lobster tops “The Claw,” and “The Roasted Veg” features Brussels sprouts, artichokes and asparagus. For those looking for a classic pie, cheese and pepperoni are on the menu, as well.
Most of their offerings are simply a pizza version of menu items from their long-time food truck.
“Our customers already know what they love and now they can have it on pizza,” Dave said.
Piper Belles fans, however, will still see the food truck on the road, as it will continue to operate.
In addition to their homemade sauces, which are also sold in Giant grocery stores, Piper Belles makes their own fresh pizza dough and uses a smoker that can cook 1,000 pounds of pork at a time.
Piper Belles is located in the market where Knead Pizza operated, before closing in August 2022.
The new vendor brings pizza back to the market with a unique twist.
Kaci said that the couple did have some concerns about opening after the devastating July fire at the market that heavily damaged much of the brick building, which is now closed, and how that would impact business. However, she felt confident in the Harrisburg community’s support of the market, she said.
“We know the market is continually supported by the community, and the market is going to get back to where it was,” she said. “Everybody’s very welcoming here.”
Dave and Kaci have dreamed of opening their own brick-and-mortar location for a while and are excited that the market is the next big step in the continued expansion of Piper Belles, they said.
“It’s exciting to be part of this community,” Kaci said.
For more information, visit Piper Belles website.
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