With Becky Potterbaum’s entire family of eight dealing with food issues, she decided to take a stand. She took Hippocrates’ words, “let food be thy medicine,” to heart and decided to look at it as a drug. As such, she knew that changing the family’s diet was the way to heal them. KetoBakes Bakery and Café, located at 700 North Main Street in Mount Pleasant, is the result.
“We saw the need to lower our carbohydrate intake because my husband was dealing with pain in his joints, I was dealing with extra weight, and our kids were dealing with learning disabilities, seizures, diabetes, gluten sensitivities, and more,” said Potterbaum. “It all boiled down to inflammation in one form or another. I put the whole family on a low-carb, anti-inflammatory diet and we all saw so many improvements that we decided we wanted it as our lifestyle. I knew that if we were able to have the things we liked as substitutes for the standard American way of preparing these dishes, we could stay on it. I developed some great recipes for bread, cookies, pizza crust, etc. and realized that they were better than anything I have tasted for gluten-free or low-carb in the marketplace. So, we began this business to help others dealing with the same types of issues.”
It all started about three and a half years ago when Potterbaum started to manufacture gluten-free, low-carb mixes. As the business grew, they needed more space. In order to use the great building where their bakery is located to make their mixes, they had to comply with city codes and put in a retail section. They decided to open KetoBakes Bakery and Café.
“We remodeled it all ourselves to welcome the public,” explained Potterbaum. They have created a warm and inviting atmosphere according to their customers.
Their specialties are cinnamon rolls, sandwich buns, bread loaves and pizza crusts, which they ship daily all across the country. In the café, however, they are able to offer lots more.
Their breakfast offerings are very popular, especially for those on their way to work. KetoBakes has a drive-thru for that purpose. The Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich on their soft, homemade zero net carb bun is the most popular item. They also have a keto version of a pancake called “Mrs. Griddles,” which is their maple pancake with breakfast sausage served with real butter plus Keto or regular maple-flavored syrup. That’s very popular, too.
“For non-keto breakfast, our Pepper Jack Hash Brown Casserole is a big hit,” explained Potterbaum.
Their lattes are the most popular coffee drinks. Using 100% organic coffee, they have a variety of regular sugar-based syrups, as well as natural sugar-free syrups, they use with a splash of cream instead of milk, so drinks can truly be Keto if desired.
“We have even developed a Keto Frappuccino that is great for hot days,” said Potterbaum, “and our Strawberry Milkshake uses our ice cream mix and frozen whole strawberries. Our non-keto employees say they are to die for.”
Other popular items include their frosted cupcakes; authentic cheesecake; frosted fudgy brownies; chewy bagels; soft-baked cookies in chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and peanut butter; and their Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad.
For lunch, they offer their well-loved chicken salad on a zero net carb bun or with their sliced toast, a Meatball Mozzarella Sandwich, an assortment of quiche options, and their Keto 9” Pizza with a choice of toppings including, sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon, green peppers, jalapeno, and/or mild banana peppers.
We recently added Keto Pizza to the menu,” noted Potterbaum. “To the keto world, it’s a miracle! Many low-carb influencers have tried to replicate pizza with cauliflower crust, chicken crust, meringue crust, it’s just not the same. And ours is different, I will give you that, but when non-keto people say they like it, I consider that a win.”
Everything they make is completely gluten-free. They are committed to being a 100% gluten-free facility; which means no cross-contamination for those needing that extra layer of assurance due to Celiac Disease. Also, absolutely no wheat, soy, or corn is used in the making of any of their products. In fact, all of their keto products are made with purist-approved ingredients, which means that instead of inflammatory vegetable oil, they use avocado oil, and instead of Crisco or margarine, they use real butter, which heart doctors prefer in moderation. Their sweeteners for keto items include stevia, erythritol, xylitol and monk fruit. Most of their recipes use a special, secret combination they’ve formulated that gives the essence of sugar, without any aftertaste. And they NEVER use any artificial sweeteners.
Eventually, they would love to expand into Cool Springs and Nashville, and eventually franchise to other cities so they can help more people struggling with the same issues as their family. It is Potterbaum’s dream to be able to see her food used in nursing homes, schools, hospitals, universities and other cafes.
“We see a need for these foods that taste so good and have that comfort factor, yet don’t raise blood sugar or inflammation, and are still gluten-free,” added Potterbaum. “Where can you currently go to find a low-carb goodie or sandwich, let alone one that is gluten-free? We are at an all-time high in this country for metabolic disease, which is a direct result of our diet. Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and brain deterioration are real concerns in our health landscape. And we would like to see that landscape shift for the better.”
While they are relatively new and still testing the local market with their hours of operation, currently they are open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. They always keep their hours updated on Facebook and Google., as well as menu updates daily. They are located at 700 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. Check them out at https://ketobakes.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/KetoBakesBakeryandCafe/.
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