That’s still what drives me. Grain has grown into markets, into a café, into an amazing team, but it’s always been about one thing: making people feel cared for. And making pastries that just so happen to be gluten-free.
Those early years were full of trial and error. I baked while Kaiden napped. Answered custom order messages while bouncing Kaiden in the baby carrier on my back.
I burned things. Perfected things. Built something.
What kept me going was the joy of seeing someone light up when they tasted a pastry they hadn’t had in years, or a parent nearly cry because their allergic kiddo could finally eat the birthday cake.
I never went to pastry school. I learned by baking at 5 am, cleaning up at midnight, and doing it all again the next day.
I didn’t plan to start a bakery. I just wanted to make my baby a birthday cake he could eat without getting sick. Kaiden was dairy-free since birth and newly gluten-free, so I got to work: a smash cake for him, and cupcakes for the grownups.
Everyone loved them. Not “good for gluten-free,” just good. People started asking for more.
And just like that, Grain was born.
It started in my home kitchen, with a little cake that needed to be safe for my son.
From One Cake to aWhole Community
Under Lauren’s lead, Grain began with scratch-baked cupcakes for her son’s first birthday and quickly bloomed: from hiring her first baker’s assistant to opening a full-service gluten-free bakery + café in Snohomish. As the team grew to over 20 staff, it became clear the business needed more than one person at the helm.
Enter Logan — who Lauren met in early 2023. What started with quick ingredient runs and fix-it projects quickly became something more. The two discovered not only shared values, but a powerful working rhythm. Lauren always said she’d never work with a partner… but here we are.
Today, Logan manages finance, operations, and inventory, while Lauren leads all things coffee, baking, team culture, and creative. They were married in Hau’ula, Oahu in January 2024 and welcomed baby Charlie that April.
From single mom side hustle to family-run bakery
What started as a one-woman show in 2015 has slowly, intentionally grown — first a few helping hands, then a full team, and now a family business grounded in shared vision and values.
family-operated since 2023
woman-owned since 2015
In the summer of 2010, you backed us. Believed in us. Shared our story. And thanks to 573 incredible backers, our Kickstarter campaign raised over $56,000 to help us open our dream space in Snohomish.
This isn’t just our bakery, it’s yours, too.
Owner & Founder Lauren with one of our favorite coffee roasters: local magician-behind-a-roaster, Velton!
When We Say We’re Community-Rooted, We Mean It ten times over
We Built This Together
Grain became a fully gluten-free kitchen in August 2021. Every treat we make is safe for our celiac and gluten-sensitive friends — no cross-contamination, no compromise.
we took the leap and never looked back
2021 – We Go 100% Gluten-Free
We signed our lease in July during the height of the pandemic, launched our Kickstarter in August, and opened our doors in November!
717 1st Street became home
2020 – We open our doors
Lauren officially debuted Grain to the public at the Snohomish Farmers Market. People lined up. Cake slices sold out. And it became a tradition.
we popped up at Snohomish Farmers Market — and never left
2016 – First Market Day
Lauren began baking for friends and neighbors in her home kitchen. What started as a creative outlet turned into an early version of Grain — rooted in care and clean ingredients.
friends told friends who told friends.
2016 – Word Gets Around
Lauren baked a dairy- and gluten-free smash cake for her son Kaiden’s first birthday — and cupcakes for the grownups. Everyone raved. It wasn’t just “good for gluten-free” — it was just good. A lightbulb went off.
Our story started in a highchair
2015 – The First Cake
Every loaf, every latte, every celebration cake—we didn’t just make them. We built toward them. This timeline isn’t just about dates. It’s about the quiet moments, the big leaps, and the love layered into everything we do.
Our Journey, Layer by Layer
Now that we're officially celiac safe, gluten free certified, the future is bright with wholesale opportunities and community partnerships and collaborations!
it's officially official! we're certified GF!
2025 – Officially GF Certified
We cracked the code on gluten-free croissants and sourdough — flaky, chewy, and totally celiac-safe. After years of recipe testing, we introduced these long-awaited bakes to our menu, bringing even more joy (and options) to our gluten-free community.
more options for GF goods
2024 – GF croissants & sourdough
We partnered with Velton’s Coffee (single origin, small-batch roasted in Everett) and Grace Harbor Farms milk. Your lattes noticed.
WE UPGRADED OUR ESPRESSO — AND OUR STANDARDS
2023 – COFFEE GETS SERIOUS
Long before it smelled like croissants and espresso, this building at 717 First Street was a space for art, gathering, and the kind of local connection that makes Snohomish feel like home.
We didn’t just move in, we stepped into a story.
The original wainscoting and hand stamped rolled “wallpaper” is protected behind our billiard green drywall “wall”! And, the wood flooring in the lobby (and protected by cement board under the tile) is the original fir floors! Built in 1914.
This building has been home to creatives, farmers, local families, and small businesses that believed in something bigger than themselves. We feel that energy in the walls. And now, every pastry we bake and every cup of coffee we pour is a continuation of that legacy…one rooted in care, craft, and community.
We’re proud to call it home. And even prouder to keep its story going.
Honoring the Community-Centric Legacy
A New Chapter at 717 First Street
