HaleLife Bakery opened for business on Oct. 30th at 11270 4th Street North, the former home of Brewers’ Tasting Room, which closed in May. A few days earlier, on Oct. 24th, HaleLife closed its Clearwater location but still has three other stores in the Tampa Bay region, including one in downtown St. Petersburg and two in Tampa.

The new St. Pete location is slated to become a full-fledged, bistro-style establishment in 2024, according to HaleLife’s Instagram feed. Until then, it will offer a “bistro express” menu that includes breakfast and lunch options in addition to bakery items, such as cupcakes, donuts, brownies, and breads.

Breakfast offerings include avocado toast, french toast bites, waffles, and a selection of breakfast sandwiches.

For lunch, a variety of handhelds and flatbreads are available, such as the Southwestern Cheeseburger Melt, Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Melt, and the Tree Hugger Flatbread, which contains Beyond meat, peppers, onions, tomato, garlic, mozzarella, and parmesan.

Outdoor patio seating is available for customers who aren’t on the move.

Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The bakery will be closed on Sundays.

“We’re so excited for what this new location will bring for the gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free community,” HaleLife Bakery Co-owner Laura McCutcheon wrote on Instagram. “I have found only two other places in the U.S. that offer what we have in the works.”

McCutcheon and her son Taylor founded HaleLife Bakery in 2018. They were both diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004 and struggled for years to find good-quality food that adhered to their dietary restrictions. Taylor even launched a blog that shared news about gluten-free and vegan foods.

The other member of the HaleLife Bakery team is head pastry chef Jackie Miller.

According to the company’s website, “After going to school to become a pastry chef, Jackie tragically endured a car accident that left her unable to work in a normal food setting. After being diagnosed with a severe gluten intolerance, her passion quickly shifted from baking "normal" foods to baking foods that (she) and everyone could eat.”

Miller, the website states, “is responsible for creating every single recipe on the HaleLife Bakery menu. Her passion allows her to work on making every cupcake, donut, and baked good as close to the real thing as possible.”

In an email to St. Pete Rising, McCutcheon revealed that HaleLife Bakery has been honored by USA Today as one of the 10 best gluten-free bakeries in America. 

According to USA Today, “HaleLife Bakery specializes in both sweet and savory baked goods that are free from gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, and most tree nuts. With four locations in Florida, it's easy to enjoy their delectable donuts, cupcakes, brownies, breads, and other treats.”

For more information and updates, follow HaleLife Bakery on Instagram and Facebook.