Hello!
My name is Justine and I am raising money to help open my bakery and cafe Just What I Kneaded in the Frogtown neighborhood of Los Angeles . Since early 2017, I have been baking breads, pastries, and cakes out of my home kitchen. I specialize in vegan pastries, with an emphasis on using local and seasonal produce. I've sold them across town at coffee shops, pop-ups, craft fairs, and to just about anyone who wanted to place an order. The demand started to grow and I realized my business was outgrowing my kitchen.
I am raising funds to complete our brick-and-mortar bakery in Frogtown/Elysian valley. The project began about 8 months ago and has been undergoing major construction ever since. The building was essentially a blank slate and needed plumbing, gas, electricity, and new floors. Our team has done an incredible job and we are ALMOST THERE! We really just need a little boost to help us with our equipment and finishing touches like our coffee counter and patio.
I grew up in Echo Park, a second generation Mexican American and have worked in restaurants & bars in Silver Lake since I was a freshman at John Marshall high school. It wasn't until 3 years ago that I discovered that my love for baking was actually going to turn into my career. My first pastry job was at Sawyer on Sunset, a really beautifully designed restaurant that served Classic American seafood forward dishes. I loved being in that kitchen. I loved the early mornings and being in charge of all the bread. I found my happy place on early Sunday mornings before the madness of brunch, where I could be the first one in the kitchen happily making biscuits and jam. I learned a lot there and got my first taste of what it was like to produce on a larger scale.
I became a vegan baker because I wanted to make a difference. I started to notice all of the dairy, eggs, and butter that were used in traditional baking recipes. I imagined what it would be like to own my own restaurant and how much of those resources I would end up using. I wanted to do something different, something for the environment & something to reduce my footprint on the planet. The goal was to make vegan baked goods that were undetectable so anyone could enjoy without prejudice. Thoughtful food that I could present as something traditional, but with an entire hidden eco-mission packed into the center.
I met my business partner / mentor 5 years ago at his restaurant on Vermont, Il Capriccio. My friend worked there and often I would hang out and talk about different restaurant ideas and concepts. He is not vegan, but was intrigued by the recent requests he was getting for vegan-friendly dishes. When I started Just What I Kneaded he was the first to show up at my scary rented kitchen in the deep valley and gave me my first set of knives. When he found the vacant space while riding his bike along the LA river he called me right up and said "I found us a kitchen". Since then he has showed me how to design a kitchen and walked me through the the complicated maze of obtaining permits in LA.
Our idea was to fill the building with 80% kitchen. We wanted to be able to share the space while running both of our concepts as separate ideas. Two entrances.Two concepts. One Kitchen. Working with people you can trust, who are supportive and that you genuinely get along with has always been something i've valued. It is a dream to share this space, to learn old traditions and also to teach new ones. Il Capriccio Frogtown will serve pizza and some traditional items. We will be working together to great vegan cheeses and vegan options to bring a little new to the old school.
We are close, very close. Now just two months away we realized how much money was spent on unused rent caused by normal construction and permitting delays. Being so close but running out of funds, a few fellow small business owners recommended that I reach out to the community. Starting this Fundrazr has made me realize just how much I love what I do and how food truly brings people together. I am raising these funds so I can complete construction, buy used equipment and finish our patio and cafe with seating. Essentially I want the opportunity to feed the community, bring awareness of delicious vegan food, and to create a space that adds to an already amazing neighborhood.
If you donate you will have my eternal gratitude and also some fun prizes.
$2-24
For those who show their support on a smaller scale you will get an invite to our opening party exclusively for those who have pledged their support. This excludes catered food, drinks, and a real good time. If you are out of state or country we will send you a handwritten note and some fun stickers.
$25
Receive a cup of coffee or tea and a pastry of your choosing !
$50
Receive a hand silk screened t-shirt with the JWIK logo + a bar of limited edition soap created by my friends at NO TOX LIFE, made right here in Glassell Park!
*No Tox life is a woman owned vegan bath and body business that carries everything from chapstick to the best damn deodorant you'll ever use. They are supporters of me, of women, and of the community. Without them I wouldn't have even dreamed that a Kickstarter was possible.
$100
Come and enjoy a coffee in your very own reusable Just What I Kneaded travel mug and breakfast for two!
$200
Get your very own first of its kind ever to be produced COOKBOOK! Thoughtfully composed with foolproof recipes and signed with a note by yours truly.
$500
A custom made mug with your name on it, featured at the shop so you can use when you visit us.Also includes 10 free cups of coffee each month for an entire year! A box of 12 pastries to enjoy at any time & exclusive invites to private events, classes, and products.
$1000
Be immortalized and have a menu item named and inspired by you! Also enjoy an exclusive tasting menu before we open in our renovated space in Frogtown.
This prize also includes a travel mug & a vip coffee card, that gets you free coffee for a year!
$5,000
A dinner for you and 5 friends complete with wine pairings.Let me show my appreciation by cooking a beautiful vegan dinner for you at your home! Dinner includes appetizers & of course DESSERTS!
You will also get a personalized one-of- a-kind cookbook with my favorite recipes developed by me and a VIP coffee card that get you free coffee for a year.
