who created patti labelle pies

Patti LaBelle’s famous sweet potato pies sold at Walmart were actually created by food buyer and product developer Kinna Thomas, not by Patti LaBelle herself.

Who Created Patti LaBelle Pies?

• The pies were developed by Kinna Thomas, an HBCU graduate who worked as a Senior Buying Manager/Director for Cakes and Pies at Walmart.

• She used her own family sweet potato pie recipe as the base and then collaborated with Patti LaBelle to brand and refine the product for mass retail.

• Patti LaBelle lends her name, image, and culinary legacy to the line, but the actual product concept and formulation came from Thomas’s work at Walmart.

How The Partnership Happened

• Shortly after taking on the role of senior buyer for cakes and pies at Walmart, Thomas pitched the idea of a soul-food style sweet potato pie tied to Patti LaBelle’s name.

• Within hours of floating the idea internally, she was connected with LaBelle’s team, and the product moved from concept to store shelves in just a few months.

• The pies exploded in popularity after a viral review video, leading to massive demand and a major cultural moment around the “Patti Pies.”

What Happened Next

• Following the success of the sweet potato pie, the line expanded into other desserts like peach cobbler, banana pudding, and bread pudding under the Patti LaBelle brand at Walmart.

• At peak popularity, Walmart has reported selling tens of thousands of Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pies per day, making the product a long-running bestseller in their bakery section.

Meta description:
Wondering who really created Patti LaBelle pies? Discover how Walmart executive Kinna Thomas developed the now-iconic Patti LaBelle sweet potato pies and turned them into a viral, long-term retail hit.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.