our story
Behind any delicious food there’s always a story. Ours began when Patti Furey Crane, Mariposa's founder, was craving sweets while pregnant with her first child. Faced with limited options for gluten-free baked goods, Patti set about baking them herself. Three months after her daughter was born, her husband suggested she start a gluten-free bakery. That was 2004. The business plan was simple -- make high quality, artisan baked goods and sell them wholesale to stores. That’s how we started. We baked at night in a shared kitchen in West Berkeley, packed our brownies and biscotti the next night and then weekly brought them store to store.
By 2006, we realized we were outgrowing the shared kitchen. We signed a lease on a space in Oakland and set out to build a wholesale bakery. When getting our plans approved by the Health Department, we were informed the space we leased was not zoned for a wholesale business. The building had been re-zoned for retail businesses only, so we built a small retail shop in front of our bakery. We didn’t post a sign or advertise the bakeshop in any way. People just started knocking on the steel front door. Soon, we realized we needed a screen door and more offerings than 2 products. Simultaneous to our beginning, gluten-free was taking off in America.
At Mariposa, we strive to make the highest-quality gluten-free baked goods. We’re constantly evolving and we work hard to ensure that there are options for everyone. Our breads, pastries, and sweets include options that are nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and/or vegan. We source locally, organically and sustainably because, not only do we think you can taste the difference, we take pride in our commitment to responsibly serving both our customers and our community.
Enormous thanks to the gluten-free community who has supported us over the years. We wouldn’t be here without you.
We have a passion for the baked goods we create, the creative journey we’re on and the communities we serve. From all of us at Mariposa, Bon Appetit!