Katrina and Alec Hagan didn't set out to open a bakery — but after Katrina's lupus diagnosis left her unable to eat nearly everything, she started baking what she couldn't find anywhere else. What began with a batch of chickpea flour cookies in a college apartment became Sensitively Sweet Bakery and The Safe Spoon Café, an allergen-free bakery and café built for people who've been told there's nothing on the menu for them.
In this episode, we sit down with Katrina and Alec to talk about the health journey that started it all, how Katrina developed food allergies to gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, and more, and how that diagnosis became the foundation of a business. We cover their path from Farmers Market success to brick-and-mortar locations in Nixa and Springfield, the local allergen-free brand partnerships they've built across the 417 area, and what's next — including a cookbook, a community guide for alpha gal sufferers, and plans to expand.
This episode is part of the Ozarks Experience series — long-form conversations focused on the people behind the work shaping the Ozarks.