New Bakery Opens in Downtown Eatery

By Christina Georgiou

A "delightfully irrational" new bakery quietly opened Saturday in the Downtown eatery Jah's Five Star Restaurant.

Run by two "nerdy" math and baking enthusiasts, Lauren Wettlaufer and Nikkita Frazier, The Pi Shop specializes in mini desserts with an emphasis on pies, bundt cakes and cheese cakes, most of which are appropriately priced at $3.14 apiece.

"It's all from scratch," said Frazier on Wednesday afternoon, as she restocked the bakery's display case. "It's all love. If you're going to eat a pie, it should be from scratch."

Frazier said all The Pi Shop's offerings are entirely made by herself and Wettlaufer--no premade fillings or other ingredients will ever be found in their goods. Additionally, they use fresh, local and organic ingredients wherever possible and shun GMO foods.


Pi Shop co-owner Nikki Frazier holds a key-lime pie
baked from scratch.

The business was born out of the two's friendship and common interests. Both worked together in the computer programming field and also enjoy baking.

"We played around with some recipes," Frazier said.

They've kept their day jobs, but hope to soon run a dedicated bakery full-time. So for now, they'll be baking out of Jah's in the evenings, an arrangement that grew from Frazier's boyfriend being friends with Jah's owner.

The Pi Shop considered selling at the Easton Farmers' Market too, but were turned down, Frazier said.

"We would have loved to if they would have let us," she said, adding that the market said that the number of bakers the market wanted were already filled. "We got in a little late for that."

Still, with Jah's being only a few steps away from the EFM's winter location at Nurture Nature Center and the holidays just around the corner, the two are hoping to do a good business.

"We've had a great start so far. It's just building momentum," Frazier said.

To that effect too, The Pi Shop will be offering free samples to help introduce themselves and their baked goodies to the public this Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Current specialties include sweet potato and key lime pie and mason jar apple pies, as well as lemon and Jewish apple cakes and sweet potato cheesecakes. Other varieties will include blueberry, peach and cherry crumb pies, pecan pie, tiramisu, pumpkin pie, chocolate silk pie, pineapple upside-down cake, red velvet cake, fudge cake and more.

While the emphasis is on mini-desserts, the two also offer full-size versions too by special order, which can be placed either by phone or online.

For more information or to place a special order with 48 hours notice required, call The Pi Shop at 866-441-7919 or visit the bakery website at www.ilovepi.net.
They're also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EastonsPieShop.

Jah's Five Star Restaurant, located at 506 Northampton St., is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.