#NotYourSidePickle: How 3 brothers built an artisanal pickle empire

Will Patterson, Joe Robl, and John Patterson (not pictured) are the owners of Pittsburgh Pickle Company and The BeerHive. Pittsburgh Pickle Company raised $50,000 from 33 community investors to buy copacking equipment. (Photo by Sophia Fang)

With unique flavors like Fire & Smoke, Better Bread & Butter, and Pittsburgh Style, the pickles from the Pittsburgh Pickle Company aren’t just your typical side pickle—they hold their own ground as the star of the meal. The artisanal pickles at the Pittsburgh Pickle Company are made with cucumbers fresh off the farm and jarred immediately, a rare practice in the pickle industry. 

Pittsburgh Pickle Company was founded by three brothers, Will Patterson, John Patterson, and Joe Robl. But this is not the brothers’ first rodeo starting a business together. They first joined forces to open The BeerHive, a popular restaurant & bar in the Strip District neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Experimenters at heart, the brothers spent two years perfecting a pickle recipe to serve as burger sides and make deep-fried pickles. When customer demand for the pickles skyrocketed, it dawned on the brothers that pickle-making could become a successful standalone business. 

In 2014, the Pittsburgh Pickle Company was born, with their production facility based out of Verona, PA. Currently, their products can be found at the 80+ Giant Eagles in Western Pennsylvania, as well as a variety of local restaurants, food trucks, and boutiques, including Murray Ave Grill, Oakmont Barbeque Company, and Carson Street Deli.