Meet Kandis Fay | Baker & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kandis Fay of Good Friends Bakery, a gluten free home bakery in Los Angeles, (@goodfriendsbakeryla) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kandis, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
If you told me two years ago that I would own a bakery, I would’ve laughed. I started baking gluten-free for my daughter when she was diagnosed with celiac at age two and a half. There are so many great gluten-free substitutions, except for when it came to croissants. I personally love croissants and wanted my daughter to be able to experience the joy of a good pain au chocolat. There was one gluten free bakery in Los Angeles that made “croissants” but they were nothing like the real deal. Once while in Montreal, I took the kids to a gluten free bakery. Their croissants were delicious and I started having hope. But since I didn’t want to travel internationally to get a good gluten free croissant, I decided to try making them on my own. It started with me researching and watching lots of videos and buying all the necessary tools and ingredients and borrowing my friend’s mixer. Meanwhile, I continued to spend $10 on the garbage croissants from the LA bakery so my daughter could have a croissant at school on mornings when that’s what was being served for breakfast. But one morning, the expensive GF bakery was suddenly closed. No explanation. This was my moment, I had one week to figure it out in order to send my daughter to school with a croissant. My first batch, she said it was better than that expensive LA bakery. And by my 5th batch, my husband and I decided we should probably let the gluten free community know that there was a gluten free croissant option in Los Angeles again and it was cheaper and way yummier.

We started an instagram account and got a cottage license and insurance. Our goal is to give our daughter and anyone who can’t have gluten a delicious, flaky croissant and cookies that don’t crumble when you bite them. My favorite thing is when a customer texts me from their car after a pick up or delivery that they’re crying cause they haven’t had this good of a croissant in years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My husband and I work in the entertainment industry and the bakery was born during the writers strike in 2023. It gave us something to focus on during those uncertain times. I credit any growth of the company to God. It feels like an endeavor He’s called us to in that it’s come pretty easily. Also, gluten free people know how to find gluten free treats so it helps that there’s an audience that is actively seeking us out. But what sets us apart is that you don’t have to be gluten free to enjoy our baked goods. They’re that good. From here, we’re hoping to take our baked goods to farmers markets or pop ups. And in the meantime we’ll keep striving to make our croissants even flakier and lighter to rival the ones with gluten in them, because we believe gluten free can and should taste amazing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend came to visit me in LA and they’re gluten free (since we’re in that world) I would take them all over the city. From sushi at Rice in Manhattan Beach to coffee and donuts in Pasadena’s dedicated gluten free cafe, Hello You’re Welcome. We’d do some hiking and go to Santa Monica. While on the westside, I’d treat us to WOW bakes @wowbakes and Modern Bread and Bagel off Montana, both make gluten free sourdough donuts that are incredible. And dinner in Venice at 401K which has the best tasting gluten free bar food out there. One day we could go downtown to check out museums and get lunch at Villa Tacos at the grand central market and treats such as cake and donuts from Cake Girl, a dedicated gluten free and vegan cake shop. If it’s Sunday, we could go to the Hollywood Farmer’s market and get pastries and bread from Kiari West. And for lunch, we could get delicious gourmet salads and more gf donuts at Alfalfa, near Larchmont. We couldn’t end their trip before taking them to New Moon Chinese restaurant in Montrose, they are great with allergies and I’ve never tasted such amazing orange chicken. That’s a lot of driving and a lot of donuts for one week, but definitely worth it!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Credit goes to my oldest daughter for being the inspiration and a great taste tester (along with her little sister). My husband and business partner Cameron for supporting this vision and coming up with the name Good Friends Bakery. My friend Claire for encouraging me and lending me her kitchenaid bowl mixer to get me started. And I couldn’t have done it without all the gluten free bakers before me and the amazing gluten free community!

Instagram: @goodfriendsbakeryla

Image Credits
Images 1, 2, 4 and 8 are by Heirlume Photography