Sweetie Pie by Savie: More Than a Bakery in Athens, GA
There’s something special about walking into Sweetie Pie by Savie. Yes, the smell of warm sugar, fresh cake, and that comforting sweetness that feels like home. But if you stay long enough, you realize the sweetest thing in the room isn’t sitting behind the glass…It’s Savie.
When I think about Savie, one word comes to mind: warmth. She’s the kind of person who makes you feel like you’ve known her for years, even if it’s your first visit. There’s a gentleness and generosity to her that I’ve gotten to experience over the years. Savie’s story didn’t start in Athens, she came to the United States from Bangkok for school, and in that time, she fell in love with this small Southern town.
In 2013, she started baking from home, and by 2015, that love became a storefront.
What people tend to see is the bakery, the display case, the cakes. But what I see is someone who lights up when she talks about what she loves. When Savie talks about baking or even expressing her love for dancing as an avid bachata dancer, her whole face changes. There’s this undeniable joy, the kind you can’t fake. The kind that reminds you that passion is contagious, and that’s what makes businesses like hers so powerful in Athens.
For Savie, the hardest part wasn’t the baking, it was helping people understand it. Introducing Asian flavors into a Southern town came with growing pains. Educating customers, trusting that if the product stayed good and the service stayed genuine, the community would come around. Her goal was simple from the beginning: create a good product, have great customer service, earn trust, and build a real community. Ten years later, she believes she’s done that, and if you’ve been inside her shop, you would understand.
After all these years, Savie still loves what she does. She said the feedback keeps her going. From the regulars to new customers and of course from the love of the community. If you’re walking into Sweetie Pie by Savie for the first time, she recommends leaning into what makes the shop unique. If you want savory, try the red curry breakfast sandwich. If you want something sweet, then how about a red bean croissant.
Those aren’t typical Athen’s bakery staples and that’s the point. Her roots show up in her menu. Bangkok meets Georgia in ways that feel natural now, even if they weren’t at first.
