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RALEIGH — PieBird restaurant in Raleigh exists in large part because of the recession.

Owner Sheilagh Duncan lost her job in the design business. She took the opportunity by establishing the restaurant and becoming her own boss.

"I think a lot of people have reinvented themselves," said Duncan.

The concept for Duncan’s restaurant was to make pies the featured attraction. From sweet pies to savory pies. It was Duncan's idea to call it PieBird.

"A piebird is a vent that goes in a pie and it keeps the crust from exploding or whatever and it just lets the air out," said Duncan.

Opening its doors a little over a year ago, PieBird was an instant success.

"That first month we could not keep pie. We couldn't even keep it in the restaurant." PieBird Chef Ruby Arthur.

The place feels new even now. Much of that could be a result of Duncan and the chefs constantly working on new pies and new combinations.

"Sheilagh gives me a lot of freedom to create new pies," said Arthur.

"No one's holding us back on what we can create," said PieBird Chef Marc Russell.

"We'll try 'em out for a week or so and if the customers like 'em we continue and if not, we kind of fade it out," said Arthur.

One popular pie has been the Bananas and Pajamas Pie. It has become the signature dessert.

"It starts with an Oreo cookie crust and then we have a white chocolate custard topped with a layer of bananas and a layer of chocolate-hazelnut ganache and whipped cream," said Duncan.

"We have customers that come from all over to have Bananas and Pajamas, even if they really don't know what's in it, they want it," said Arthur.

There is a pie revolution taking place right now in many locations, with restaurants similar to PieBird. If it will be a short-lived fad is impossible to tell, but the people involved here certainly believe this has staying power.