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(KTVI) – Sweetie pies has become a St. Louis staple that is now spreading its wings.

The man behind the brand is Tim Norman.

In the words of Shakespeare, to be or not to be, for a while it seemed it was not to be for Tim. Growing up the son of one of the famed Ikettes, Robbie Montgomery, and Tim seemed to follow in the footsteps of his troubled father spending 10 and a half years behind bars for armed robbery.

Prison proved to be a good experience for Tim; he says it saved his life. Once released he worked his way through the ranks of his mother’s restaurant  learning as much as he could in as much time as he could.

Then he got his big break.

His story has led to a hit reality show on the Oprah Winfrey Network and a 4th and 5th Sweetie Pies restaurant on the way, one in Hollywood and a drive through location, not to mention an up and coming rap career.

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