Every March 14, two homophones collide on Pi Day. And the holiday honoring a mathematical constant (3.14) has become one of the busiest days of the year for Arlington’s Livin’ the Pie Life.
“It’s always a push…but it’s also exciting,” says Wendy MacCallum, who owns Livin’ the Pie Life with fellow Arlingtonian Heather Sheire. “The mood in the kitchen is happy. It’s just a really happy day.”
Pie has been a staple of Pi Day since the beginning. In 1988, physicist and native Washingtonian Larry Shaw organized the first celebration in San Francisco by bringing together colleagues over encrusted, fruit-filled desserts.
Twenty-three years later, MacCallum and Sheire started Livin’ the Pie Life because they saw an unmet appetite for pie in Northern Virginia. The business began in 2011 as a two-person operation selling baked goods at the Clarendon Farmers Market. By 2016, they had opened a storefront near the corner of N. Glebe Road and Langston Boulevard.
A Crowd-Pleaser
True to its name, Livin’ the Pie Life sold 44,000 pies in 2025. And MacCallum and Sheire now know to prep ahead for March 14.
On their first Pi Day, “we were just flabbergasted as to why we sold out so early,” Sheire said.
In 2026, Livin’ the Pie Life is expecting to sell 1,500 pies quickly. Customers can now pre-order their pick of three signature Pi Day boxes, featuring a trio of mini pies for $14.
Pi Day Prep
Preparations for a March 14 rush begin six weeks ahead of time. While cookies and cakes can be mixed, baked, and bought in one fell swoop, pie is a labor-intensive creation requiring a more patient baker. “The expression is, ‘Easy as pie,’ but that’s not true,” Sheire says.
Livin’ the Pie Life prides itself on not rushing the process. All crust is made by hand, serving as the base for more than 50 different types of sweet and savory pies that rotate seasonally.
A tried-and-true method has turned making pie into a science. But the real secret ingredient? It’s 30 staff who keep the pies coming, Pi Day or not.
“We love our staff, and we love our customers,” Sheire says. “We try and make this a place where everyone is welcome.”
Feature image courtesy Livin’ the Pie Life
