Whoopie pie sales up after Oprah mention

RICHMOND – A whoopie pie manufacturer has received hundreds of orders after being featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” this week.

Isamax Snacks’ whoopie pies were included in a segment about great gifts for under $25. A short time later, the orders started coming through the company Web site and over the phone.

“We have Oprah-overload,” said Amy Bouchard, who owns the company with her husband. “We were busy as it was. Now we have hundreds of orders coming in.”

Isamax Snacks has been making whoopie pies and muffins for the wholesale market for about 10 years. The Bouchards opened a retail store in Gardiner this year.

But never had the Isamax products been showcased to millions of TV viewers. The Bouchards gathered around their TV set Monday with friends and family and watched as the creative director of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine showed the whoopie pies to Oprah. He said he loved them and noted that they were made in Maine.

“For now we’ll be OK, we’ll just be working longer hours,” Bouchard said. “If the orders keep going, we’ve got a lot of friends, family and other people who’ve said they would be able to work for us.”