Our Story
While Wholesome Bakery opened on Divisadero Street in January of 2018, Mandy’s culinary story in San Francisco didn’t begin there--
Mandy started her career as a chef in the Mission in 2010, renting commercial space out of La Victoria Bakery and selling her signature cookie sandwiches wholesale. She actively sought out and delivered on her bike to her favorite grocery stores in the city - Rainbow, Valencia Whole Foods, Bi Rite. She was thrilled when they quickly picked up her products and began selling her gluten free, vegan, soy free, refined sugar free, and additive free baked goods. Mandy’s treats gained a cult-like following and, in 2016, she expanded a few blocks away, opening a small cafe inside the Mission District’s outdoor store, Alite. It was not long before Mandy outgrew this space and, through her sheer will and determination to offer all of her fresh baked goods to her fans, she opened up her brick and mortar at 299 Divisadero in San Francisco. All this without partners, investors, family help or outside funding.
For Mandy, having accessibility to her specialty products is her passion. With that in mind, she curated the first vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, & soy free bakery and market in the US. The Wholesome Bakery Market launched January of 2021 and has become a neighborhood corner store in the Lower Haight that offers convenience for those looking for specialty baking items and treats.
There are no words to describe this labor of love that has grown from an idea that she built from her apartment to now a full fledged brick & mortar bakery. Mandy has developed Wholesome Bakery from a one person operation to a business supporting multiple employees. Wholesome Bakery ships and distributes nationwide as well with many wholesale and retail accounts across the country.
Stay tuned for 2022 and watch as Mandy continues to make her dream of Wholesome Bakery becoming a household name a reality.
Mandy Harper - CEO, Founder & Executive Chef
Born and raised in Arizona and a descendant of the Great Plains People, the Cheyenne/Arapaho Nations - Mandy's always had a deep rooted connection to the evolution of food, food sovereignty and how ingredients effect not only our body, but the planet. Mandy's been working in the food industry since she was 15 years old and has loved every second of it. All those years of hard work led to her launching Wholesome Bakery. From humble beginnings of starting the company from nothing, to now a successful growing company. To this day Mandy is still the sole owner.
Desiree - Sales Director
Desiree is a long time friend of Mandy's, working together in the food world since 2010. Born to Dominican and Palestinian parents in Puerto Rico, creating real food with real ingredients has always been a central part of her world. She too has always been on the hunt for quality products free from inflammatory ingredients that are supporting the environment, not hurting it. That's where Wholesome Bakery became a passion of hers. Desiree has an incredible gift and instinct for sales working within the industry for more than a decade. She has done an amazing job of helping Wholesome Bakery grow, despite the pandemic.