For a treat that won’t break your diet, Keto Sweetie in Deer Park, WA is the bakery that boasts, “We’re as good as we look!” Like a phoenix, Keto Sweetie rose from the ashes of the pandemic and sought to set the taste buds of a small town ablaze. They took an idea, found some delicious recipes, added some great marketing, mixed in a whole lotta love, and, after putting it in the oven at 350 degrees, pulled a business out of the oven.
Kristi Evenson started with a donut recipe that quickly caught on. With the help of her daughter and business partner, Angel Sorenson, they expanded into additional baked treats, including cinnamon rolls – a crowd favorite, according to Kristi. Although the bakery is geared towards a keto diet, it is also sugar free, low carb, and 100% gluten free, which means there are no cross-contamination concerns for gluten-intolerant customers.
Kristi shared a story of resilience that she hopes their business can continue to embody and model for the community. Kristi and Angel are both Riverside High School graduates and take pride in being locally grown and committed. Kristi, a former dental hygienist, divides her time between baking and her job as a real estate agent. Angel, whose business degree is the backbone of their rapid growth, handles the advertising, social media, and internet side of the business, while her four-year-old daughter, Twilah, is the face of the whole operation. A woman-owned and operated, family business, through and through.
Left to right: Kristi Evenson, Twilah Sorenson, Angel Sorenson
While Kristi loves helping people find their perfect home, the pandemic made real estate a rough storm to ride out. She chose to adapt rather than collapse and began using her free time to create tasty donuts that did not ruin her personal diet. Her food regimen was driven by health needs but powered by a desire to live a happy life, despite those health issues. She researched options for a heart-healthy diet, found keto, and was inspired by its many, reported health benefits.
It was this new information, along with a little pandemic boredom, and a drive to thrive, that led to the creation of their flagship goodie: yummy donuts that you can feel good eating, guilt-free. This adventure was propelled by support from six local retail partner businesses:
• Five North Coffee & Gifts (Deer Park)
• North Wild Coffee (Nine Mile Falls)
• Bean Me Up Espresso (Wandermere)
• Fueled Coffee Company (Spokane Valley)
• Christ Kitchen (West Central Spokane)
• Brew Bar PNW (Post Falls)
When asked about what she wants people to know about her brand, Kristi said: rules are meant to be broken (a fitting slogan for a keto bakery), and not stopping in a bad situation, which is how her new adventure came to be.
When asked about the future, Kristi said she plans to stay in the community and grow in staff and sales only. She was enthusiastic in highlighting the businesses that carry her items, clearly driven by a desire to share the attention she felt blessed to be receiving, rather than as a way to push her products. She made it a point to express how grateful she is for the help they gave her when she was first starting out. This belief in a hand up has led Keto Sweetie to likewise help others in the community, when able to so. She spoke of loving the growing small business community in Deer Park and their downtown planning process, and how proud she is to be a part of the shopping hub she shares with her neighbor, Five North Coffee & Gifts, and others, on her town’s Main Street.
A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Friday, February 16 at 3 p.m. at the N. Main Road entrance off of Railroad Ave. Keto Sweetie is open Thursday and Friday, 2-6 p.m. and can be reached at ketosweetiedonuts.com, and their products are also available through any of the retailers listed above.
Jerry Rodriguez is happily married with three sons. He is a former CNA and current care provider to his wife. He uses multiple forms of art to pay the bills when he’s not doing gigwork.
