Music legend turned entrepreneur Patti LaBelle may be 78, but she’s not letting up when it comes to growing her already successful food business.
The R&B diva and cookbook author announced at the recent Essence Eats Food and Wine Festival that her Patti’s Good Life will now be expanding its line to offer breakfast foods.
Patti’s Good Life made a major splash when it launched with Patti’s Pies in 2015. She launched the company with her business partner, Charles Suitt. When social media personality James Wright’s online reaction to Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pies went viral, sales skyrocketed — though LaBelle was quick to note that it was because her pies were tasty not, due to Wright.
“I was selling out before the guy did his wonderful video,” the iconic singer told TMZ at the time. But she did give Wright a shoutout, adding, “Thank you James. He’s a wonderful singer, and he’s just a wonderful guy.”
Today, her pies and other products such as chicken and biscuits, greens, and mac and cheese are in grocery stores and such major chains as Walmart and Target. In fact, in 2020 her pies are still a favorite at Walmart, where shoppers are still buying 36,000 pies every single day, Food and Wine reported.
She’s going even further by now. She is now selling her breakfast favorites — frozen mini pancakes and mini pancake sandwiches stuffed with PB&J or chocolate hazelnut. She told the Essence audience that the breakfast dishes are inspired by her grandchildren, who love breakfast. And she wanted items that were quick and easy to make. LaBelle also teased that she would be adding breakfast options like syrup and pancake mix. As a diabetic, she will also sell a sugar-free syrup option, Essence reported.
LaBelle’s net worth is about $60 million, due to her continuing singing career, her tours, and now food empire.
Her music career launched with the style-forward female disco group LaBelle (known initially as Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles), which had the mega hit “Lady Marmalade” in 1975. Going solo, her single career soared with countless hits and awards. She even ventured into acting on Broadway and television. Now she’s planning to take her Patti’s Good Life venture to the top.
