Seattle Times - Seattle’s pop-up bakery scene has exploded during the pandemic. Here are our 20 favorites!
Pastry chef Aliya Davis hand-paints delicate macarons at Black Magic Sweets, available for pickup from area shops or shipped direct. (Jackie Varriano / The Seattle Times)
April 22, 2021 at 6:00 am
Updated April 22, 2021 at 3:10 pm
By Jackie Varriano Seattle Times food writer
Seattle has always had a small pop-up scene, but these microbusinesses have proliferated since the coronavirus pandemic began, offering everything from stuffed croissants and tacos to fried chicken and pizza. Pop-ups require little to no capital, and depending on the type of food offered, Washington’s cottage industry laws mean business owners don’t necessarily need to pay for a commercial kitchen for production. With many restaurants still closed for indoor dining, the pandemic has offered new opportunities for these nascent bakers to establish a name for themselves.
Some operators, like Wendy Scherer, former head baker at Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Bakery and current owner of Patch Pocket Productions, which focuses on soft pretzels, entered the pop-up scene because they were laid off during the pandemic and suddenly had time to pursue a passion.
“What’s cool about this for me is after spending so much time in a commissary kitchen it’s nice to see the people who are getting the things you’re making,” Scherer says.
Other pop-up operators, like Samantha Padilla and Ashley Hernandez of Coping Cookies, started out of a desire to connect with their community during an isolating time.
Hernandez works in the psychiatric unit at Seattle Children’s hospital. Shortly after the pandemic took hold, she noticed that many of her co-workers were feeling discouraged and burned out. Wanting to contribute a mood-booster while also supporting social justice initiatives, she organized a bake sale, asking co-workers to donate $15 and above to one of three organizations she picked in exchange for a box of cookies she’d put together.
“It was a one-time thing, but every time I came into work, [my co-workers] were like, where are those cookies?” Hernandez says.
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In June, Hernandez and her partner Padilla began hosting online bake sales, donating a portion of proceeds to charitable organizations centered on social justice or mental health issues. Thereafter, they started doing Seattle-area pop-ups. Now, boxes sell out within minutes and lines at their pop-ups frequently wrap around the block. The cookies are thick (many weigh more than 6 ounces!) and filled with varying textures and flavors.
“The internet cookie community is like a competition to see how much you can shove in there, but we really take pride in making sure everything is really balanced,” Hernandez says.
If you’re looking for a new tasty treat to try, here are 20 (yes, 20) of the hottest Seattle-area pop-ups right now that feature bakers who have perfected everything from alfajores to pavlova. Although some of these are so popular you might have to set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to preorder on time, many have subscription boxes or do delivery, making their goodies easier to obtain.
Black Magic Sweets
Known for: Beautiful macarons
Delicate macarons, hand-painted with whimsy by bakery Aliya Davis. Flavor combinations change bimonthly and are available on the website to be shipped, or for pickup at Friday Afternoon Tea in Wallingford and at The Works Seattle in Yesler Terrace.
