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Biscuits remain Lone Star’ s largest product category, but fried pies continue to drive menu innovation, new flavors, and creative applications. Interest is growing beyond just sweet pies. Dave adds,“ We’ ve started developing savory flavors like sausage and gravy, and chicken and vegetable pies. These products are creating new opportunities for us and generating interest right alongside our sweet varieties.”
When it comes to the fried pies, the options for fillings are virtually endless. Execution for the operator, however, stays simple.“ The pies come frozen and ready to fry,” Dave says.“ The handler simply takes them out of the freezer, drops them in the fryer for six minutes, and they’ re ready to serve. They can even hold under a heat lamp for up to two hours.”
Enhancing efficiencies
Expanding the product range is only part of the challenge. Testing, adapting, and scaling those products is just as important. Since joining Lone Star in 2012, Chief Engineer Mike Brehm has built a team that handles maintenance, fabrication, refrigeration, automation, programming, and equipment development for both facilities. Mike notes,“ When new opportunities come up, our internal departments can step in, even if we don’ t have exactly what we need on hand. Our machine and fabrication shops let us create what’ s needed quickly, so we can test or run new products right away.”
Those resources are now focused on a series of investments meant to increase output and reduce manual processes. Lone Star is automating two production lines and increasing pie production with a new EasyMac sheeting line. The investments also include upgrades to refrigeration, packaging, freezing systems, and support equipment across both facilities. Mike points out,“ The main reason for the second pie line was simple: we were out of capacity.”
That same thinking is guiding changes in Lone Star’ s frozen dough operations. Mike continues,“ We’ re working to streamline it all. The frozen dough pucks will come out of the spirals frozen and go straight into packaging equipment vs how we have to currently bulk pack, then next day load to a bagging machine for retail.”
The investment program spans both Lone Star facilities and requires coordination far beyond engineering. Having two plants
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