By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
After a strong showing of 450 people from the soft opening at CupKates, owner Kate Jennings is looking forward to meet the demand for the grand opening and days to come.
CupKates, a brand new bakery/restaurant that will open this Friday, June 6th is expecting to see another large crowd of people who are excited to try the gluten-free, all natural, made from scratch recipes.
Jennings' motivation is to serve people who are limited to a gluten-free diet and still want to have a delicious treat.
"I know what it feels like to walk in somewhere and not being able to eat as many things as everyone else," said Jennings.
Back in college, Jennings discovered she has a gluten intolerance. She then started to work at Ad Astra Books & Coffee House, where she baked gluten-free products. Jennings told the owner at Ad Astra that her dream was to always open up her own cafe. She received the support from Ad Astra and understood that she could only cater to those who had a similar intolerance as her.
"I loved my time at Ad Astra, but I could not cater to the celiac population or those who have a severe allergy as much as I wanted to," stated Jennings. "I just wanted to have a place where they can walk in and know everything here is safe."
Natural and unique recipes
Nothing at CupKates is frozen and Jennings is all about providing her customers with the best quality items as possible. Many people have approached Jennings and wondered if there is a texture/taste difference between gluten-free and non-gluten-free products. However, that is not the case.
"There's not much of a difference. I had lots of people come in who were not gluten-free and they enjoyed their pastry just as the next person," said Jennings.
The recipes are not a secret, and Jennings commented that she is open to sharing her recipes if customers are curious. She is also set to teach a gluten-free baking class at the Salina Art Center this Fall.
"I think it's a beautiful thing for people to learn how to cook for themselves. I am more than happy to help others and share my recipes," said Jennings.
Looking ahead
Jennings plans to add more recipes and items to the menu in the future. This includes gluten-free sourdough bread, hamburger buns, custom birthday cakes and much more.
"There are definitely going to be more recipes coming, but we will slowly add those once everyone feels confident with all the recipes we have," stated Jennings.
Breakfast and lunch items are looking to come soon on a ribbon cutting event that will happen on Friday, June 20th. Sandwich bread will be available during the grand opening while supplies last.
Days of Operation and Current products
CupKates will currently serve cookies, cupcakes, scones (savory & sweet), muffins, sweet rolls, sweet breads coffee, oatmeal cream pies, fresh-pressed juices, real fruit smoothies and more.
Days of operation are:
Tuesday - Saturday from 6:00 am - 3:00 pm (every "First Fridays" will operate from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm)
For more information, go to https://cupkatescafe.com/