gaiadonut / Facebook
Gaia Donuts, photographed at the Attic Cafe in Tampa, Florida.
The Tampa Gaia Vegan Bakery has closed. Owned by Sarah Hunt Bollhorst, the business, located at 6617 N Nebraska Ave. in Seminole Heights, opened in March and focused primarily on donuts and other allergen-free baked goods (including these amazing cakes).
In his ad, Bollhorst spoke about how difficult running a small business was for his mental health and the general well-being of his family (including two young children).
“I was struggling to find joy in anything,” wrote Bollhorst, “every time something went wrong, I was having another panic attack.”
As the store’s numbers continued to drop, she realized she had to seek outside help.
“I finally met a fantastic therapist who helped me realize that the financial success of my business was not a direct correlation to my personal worth,” continued Bollhorst’s post.
Bollhorst’s baking days are not over, she will only focus on the things she is good at rather than the business side of the industry.
“My ideal job would be as some kind of allergy-safe recipe consultant,” Bollhorst told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I want to reach out to local restaurants and see if I can help them develop unique dishes that allergy sufferers or people with dietary restrictions can enjoy at their establishment.”
Bollhorst is also looking for cake decorating positions in town and wants to start his own YouTube channel. Follow @sarahmakesherself on Instagram for updates.
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