First Vegan Bakery Opens in San Francisco

San Francisco’s first all-vegan (and gluten-free) Wholesome Bakery quietly opened last weekend in the city’s Mission District. The bakery focuses on minimally processed, locally sourced organic ingredients and has served the Bay Area as a wholesale company for seven years. The bakery landed a partnership with outdoor gear store Alite to share its space and will serve rotating seasonal baked goods including scones, tea and coffee cakes, cupcakes, macarons, petit fours, and pour-over coffee from popular roaster Four Barrel Coffee. In addition to sweet-and-savory bread pudding offerings during weekend brunch, Wholesome Bakery will serve one special daily lunch item such as Sweet Potato Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw, Sautéed Black Beans & Rice with Plantains & Mixed Greens, and Spiced White Bean Soup with Kale. Owner and long-time vegan Mandy Harper is passionate about baking without animal products and said, “I’m a lover of all creatures and want all things to live a long and healthy life.” Harper has an ambitious plan—namely, to expand locations of Wholesome Bakery to other parts of the Bay Area before opening in Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, and Seattle—and admits that while she’s tired, “the loss of sleep feels worth it.”