Moving to the suburbs of Washington,
D.C. was a highly traumatic experience for me. Gone were the days of
hopping around the corner to my favorite hang-outs, restaurants, bodegas,
and coffeehouses. In came the days of playgrounds, lawnmowers, folding
chairs, and black socks with bermuda shorts. The only redeeming quality
of my emigration from the city was that I was moving far, far away from
the irresistible pull of Sticky Fingers Bakery.
For the past few years, Doron Petersan has been taunting those of us
fortunate enough to know her with the idea that she’d one day
open an all-vegan bakery. Clad in a chocolate-covered apron, Doron explains
the birth of the oh-so-sweet idea: “After endless parties with
no vegan desserts, the idea hit. I started making cakes for birthdays
and potlucks, and every other person was saying, ‘You should sell
these!’”
Without much hesitation, Doron planted herself in her kitchen and began
tempting us with unbelievably delicious creations, taking full advantage
of the obsession with food that all vegans seem to have. With even less
hesitation, a handful of us willingly became her test subjects and devoured
all sorts of animal-friendly desserts that actually had texture, taste,
and flavor. So, while I invested in more and more pairs of snack pants,
Doron further developed the idea that would become Sticky Fingers Bakery.
She “baked, schemed, and suckered Dave Jameson and Kirsten Rosenberg
into being a part of it all. Dave started baking as soon as he got here
from England in February 2002, and Kirsten signed on two months later.”
After a few months of whipping the budding business into a reality,
on October 1, 2002, the sweet, sweet smell of freshly baked treats wafted
out the door, luring unsuspecting passersby in trendy Dupont Circle
into Sticky Fingers Bakery for the first time. Hungry customers were
greeted with display cases filled with such decadence as Smackers (peanut
buttery chocolate bars) for $1.50, huge slices of Bunny Huggers Carrot
Cake for $3.50, and, of course, the house specialty: warm, gooey Sticky
Cinnamon Buns for $2.
What sets Sticky Fingers apart from other socially responsible businesses
isn’t only that it offers all-vegan sweets, expands the fast-growing
animal-free foods market, and satiates scores of dessert-deprived advocates.
Sticky Fingers is mainstreaming the message of compassion to animals
by addicting vegans-to-be to its irresistible cakes, muffins, cookies—all
while introducing those sweet-tooths to the whys and hows of becoming
vegan. That is, while Sticky Fingers doesn’t advertise itself
to the general public as a cruelty-free business (lest potential customers
turn away from fear of the unknown), the bakery staff of seven never
misses an opportunity to promote veganism. Compassion Over Killing’s
Vegetarian Eating brochures, Easy Vegan Recipes booklets, and Vegetarian
Guide to Washington, D.C. and Surrounding Areas are prominently displayed
in the storefront, and Sticky Fingers employees constantly encourage
walk-in and special-order customers to explore animal-friendly living.
And while they’re drunk on the best vegan desserts around, how
could they refuse?
Flour-coated bakery co-owner Kirsten shares, “We’ve been
very heartened by the reception Sticky Fingers has received, from vegans
as well as non-vegans. In fact, we’ve had several instances where
customers are surprised to realize we’re a vegan bakery—even
after multiple visits!”
And Sticky Fingers isn’t only introducing chocoholics and pastry
lovers to the idea of veganism. Adds Kirsten, “Running a vegan
bakery has also provided some unexpected opportunities for raising awareness
about animal issues. For example, our industrial suppliers have had
to learn what ‘vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’ mean,
and that there is a growing demand for such products.”
In the nation’s capital, Sticky Fingers Bakery is an overwhelming
hit, attracting customers from the city’s outskirts, willing to
battle D.C. traffic and non-existent parking just for a bite of a Cowvin
Cookie (oatmeal cookie sandwich with cream filling for $2.00), a slice
of Chocolate Love Cake (the best vegan cake around for $3.50), or the
newest baked creation to emerge from the kitchen. The bakery’s
wholesale business to D.C. coffee houses, book nooks, restaurants, and
co-ops rivals its retail sales, and deliriously happy customers know
where to go for catering, special-order desserts, and even wedding cakes.
Some say their products are sinful, while self-admitting Sticky Fingers
addict Gaverick Matheny sighs, “Sinking your teeth into a moist
chocolate cake sandwich with a fluffy cream filling is heaven. Finding
out the ‘Little Devil’ is cholesterol-free and animal-friendly
is divine.”
What’s down the road for the ever-expanding bakery? Spreading
joy to those outside the Beltway by cooking up plots for mail-order
business! Keep your eyes open for online sales in late summer/early
fall.
So while I’m no longer a mere handful of blocks away from the
bakery, I’m still a more than willing taste-tester (even though
I go through the motions of putting up a fight). Why, you ask, would
the Dessert Divas and the Mad Baker constantly test the will power of
animal advocates by waving scrumptious treats under our noses? Because
they’re horrible, of course. And because they know we are the
pickiest critics around when it comes to desserts. If we give the treats
our chocolate-streaked thumbs up, you know it’s good and ready
to serve as vegan ambassadors!
Visit Sticky Fingers Bakery at 1904 18th Street, NW (at T Street), Washington,
DC 20009; online: www.StickyFingersBakery.com;
or call (202) 299-9700.
Miyun Park is president of Compassion Over Killing
(www.cok.net), a nonprofit
animal advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., and Sticky Fingers
junky with no plans to kick the habit.
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