Help Mindful Baking Open Their First Store Front!

Why we wanted to open a storefront?

Every week, we get around 10 customers asking if they can buy pastries and cakes from our current spot. It breaks my heart having to tell them that the wholesale location has no retail presence. With the opening of Mindful Baking Cafe in Portage Park, we can finally have a retail space to connect with our customers and introduce Mindful Baking to even more folks!

This space could not have been possible without Autumn Bastyr's support of Little Lulu's Italian Ice. When the pandemic hit Autumn decided to close her shop down and move to Florida, meanwhile expanding their brand. I saw an opportunity to not only expand my presence, but to also support a women-owned small business. It's a win-win situation for both of us! I can continue selling their delicious Italian ice that the neighborhood loves while introducing my baked goods to their customer base.

Whats so mindful about Mindful Baking?

Good question. First off, everything we make is Gluten Free and Vegan. That way, anyone can enjoy our products without worrying about diet restrictions or some of the most common allergies.

Secondly, we seek out the highest quality ingredients possible. We don’t settle when it comes to what goes into our products- because we know that sacrificing ingredient quality, means sacrificing taste. Here at Mindful, we think that life’s too short for cardboard baked goods.

Last, but not least, we are committed to sustainability and social responsibility. All of our packaging is is biodegradable and recyclable. All of our leftovers go to the local food banks. We don’t have to be vegan, we want to! We feel that among the health benefits of a plant based diet, going vegan helps lower the carbon footprint that factory farms and the meat industry creates. Yeah, we want to change the world. But more importantly, we want to be change in the world.

The Mindful Revolution has been 7 years in the making!

"I started Mindful Baking out of my home- at that time it was called "D'ology" (Diane's Ideology). From small table events, farmers markets, and to hosting my own markets; I've come a long way. Mindful Baking Cafe is the next step of this journey." - Diane

Diane Mejia was diagnosed with severe gluten intolerance over 6 years ago. She happened to be finishing up her pastry degree at the time. Rather than throw in the towel, she decided to put that energy towards making pastries and baked goods that she could enjoy (without getting sick). She also experimented with flavors dedicated to close friends. One of them being Amy, who now has a cupcake flavor named in her memory, “Hey Amy.”

When setting out on her own quest to make gluten free baked goods, she discovered the vibrant and welcoming gluten free and vegan communities here in Chi town. She connected with all kinds of folks; vegan, gluten free, and indifferent who just loved her baked goods.

From that point she began her quest of creating the Mindful Revolution. We at Mindful continue innovating our desserts and savory dishes to keep up with the ever-evolving culinary industry.

The rest is history.

How can YOU help us?

We've secured the storefront, but to make the cafe a coffee shop to the highest of standard, I need your help with obtaining the following equipment:

We'll also be using the funds to:

Remodel the front of house which includes: painting the walls, updating the flooring, adding new lighting, electrical work, as well as adding nooks for local merch and goods from other small businesses.

Rebranding of my merchandise to coincide with the new cafe opening.

Secure 1 month of rental to offset the costs of introducing Mindful Baking to Portage Park