About Us

In 1997, I joined my mom at The Blue Owl, where I worked in our bakery as a professional pie slicer. I had so much vision for our amazing desserts that when the time came, I could grow our business outside the town of Kimmswick. Our online website launched, we introduced a line of wholesale desserts, and we began shipping our desserts nationwide. In 2011, I moved our bakery off-site to create The Blue Owl Bakery in House Springs, MO. There, we began our wedding business and opened a retail donut shop. Our bakery employs 25 people who bake all the delicious desserts we serve in Kimmswick. In 2015, I began to see my life differently and realized I had dedicated it to working instead of raising my children. I found a program called Celebrate Recovery, a 12-step program for hurts, habits, and hang-ups. There, my life changed, and I could trust God with my life instead of just pursuing my own will. In May of 2022, I married my amazing husband, Dan Byerly, and a few months later, in August of 2022, my mom decided to retire. We took ownership, and my Husband has now joined me in working full-time at our Restaurant and Bakery. Our passion for helping people in recovery has allowed us to bring the ministry into our business and employ people in recovery. We are excited to see where the future leads us and follow God’s opportunities!

Dan and Kim Byerly

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

With the love and support of my wonderful family and friends, “From the Kitchen of Mary” was established in August of 1983. Creating an assortment of pastries, cookies, cakes, and cheesecakes became a challenge as I attended craft shows on the weekends, and the demand for our baked goods increased. I dreamed of having a location with commercial equipment and a few employees to help. In May 1985, I first saw The Blue Owl Restaurant. I decided to try it and dreamt of people waiting in line for a table at the Blue Owl. That dream became a reality. In August, I hired 5 employees, set a goal of serving 30 guests daily, and nervously opened the doors. Today we serve over 300 guests daily, and our staff has grown to 75.

There have been challenges and highlights. The Great Flood of ‘93 threatened the entire Kimmswick community and caused the evacuation of The Blue Owl. We were saved by the gallant sandbagging efforts of thousands of volunteers and the National Guard, who built an earthen levee outside our back door. This miracle birthed our Famous Levee High Caramel Apple Pecan Pie which was created in honor of the levee that saved Kimmswick. Since then, the Levee High has been featured on the Food Network, The Travel Channel, and The Today Show in 2011 as one of Oprah’s favorite things! People from all over the world visit the Blue Owl due to our national exposure.

In August of 2022, I decided it was time to retire and pass the legacy I created onto the next generation, my daughter Kim and her husband, Dan. I am so excited to spend time with family and friends, especially my husband Jerry, who patiently supported me for 38 years!

Mary Hostetter
P.S. And yes… dreams do come true!