In the spring of 2022, I started Bite This in my home kitchen with a mixer, a vision, and a deep belief that food can bring people together in powerful ways.

What began as a small table at local farmers markets quickly became something much bigger than baked goods. It became a safe place, a gathering place. A space where people who felt different, overlooked, or misunderstood could walk in and feel like they belonged.

After two years of baking in a shared kitchen, we opened our first brick-and-mortar location in July 2024. It’s just 670 square feet, but inside these walls something special has grown. We sell out often. There are lines down the street. But what moves me most isn’t the growth, it’s the conversations and connections we have made.

Customers who share their milestones with us, celebrate with us.

Young people who tell me this is the first place they’ve felt fully accepted.

Parents who bring their kids in because they know they’ll be welcomed exactly as they are.

Bite This has always been about more than baked goods. It’s about being yourself, doing good, sobriety & mental health advocacy. It’s about showing up for people on hard days. It’s about creating a space that celebrates individuality, creativity, and community.

This small but mighty space has served us well, but it has been obvious for some time that we need to & CAN DO more for my community.

I am raising funds for the down payment to purchase the building we’re in and expand The Lair from just 670 square feet to nearly 2,800 square feet. This expansion isn’t about ego or scale for the sake of growth. It’s about impact. Our goal is $150,000 - this amount will cover the downpayment for the building and loan (total project cost between $850,000-$900,000)

With more space, we will:

• Create new jobs & leadership opportunities

• Mentor aspiring bakers & young creatives

• Increase production so we can meet demand without constant sell-outs

• Host cake decorating classes and community supper clubs

• Provide a gathering space for band meet-and-greets, mental health events, and local collaborations

• Expand our advocacy work around mental health and sobriety

Owning this building means permanence. It means stability. It means we can invest deeply in our neighborhood and continue building something that outlasts trends.

This community has carried us from day one. Now I’m asking for your help to plant permanent roots. If Bite This has ever made you feel seen, celebrated, or at home, I invite you to be part of this next chapter. Every contribution, no matter the size, moves us closer to securing a space that belongs to the community who built it.

Bite This isn’t just a bakery. It’s proof that when people gather with intention, something powerful happens. Thank you for believing in this dream. Thank you for believing in me & my phenomenal team.