This vegan bakeshop business with gluten-free options is moving to Middle Georgia
Mandisa and Keshier Randolph are moving their Sweet Rain Vegan Bakeshop business to Warner Robins.
They’ll start out with farmers markets and next plan to open a storefront.
Based in their Loganville home, Sweet Rain Vegan Bakeshop is known for delicious vegan desserts with gluten-free options.
The Randolphs, who married in August 2021, started their business in 2019 — traveling to farmers markets, craft markets and vegan festivals.
They also offer their products via their website.
In preparation of their move to Warner Robins, they have suspended pop-up events for the month and their home-based and online business will be closed from March 23 to April 3.
Their first pop-up event after the move will be NewTown Macon’s The Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 10 on Poplar Street between First and Second Street.
Once they’ve identified a location, they plan to offer breakfast and brunch at their storefront. Mandisa’s daughter, Alexis Smith, will help staff the storefront.
Teamwork
Mandisa does all the baking and all things pertaining to the kitchen. Keshier handles the business side from ingredient labels to marketing to the finances.
“I’m the taste tester,” Keshier said.
The Randolphs hope to open their storefront within the next few months.
“I’d like to have something open by the summer but I’m gonna kinda just let it flow how it flow,” Mandisa said. “I don’t want to rush anything or I don’t want to drag my feet either.”
Beginnings
Mandisa fell in love with baking at an early age.
She learned from her grandmothers, Ruby Kemp and the late Jettie Pearl Harper.
She also went to two culinary schools.
She started out working in retail in Winn Dixie and Kroger grocery stores and a few jobs in between before joining Publix in customer service.
Nine years into 15 years at a Publix, Mandisa moved to the grocery store’s bakery on its fast track program. She next worked for General Mills as a traveling bakery trainer.
After a bad accident involving a tractor-trailer, Mandisa decided to leave her General Mills job. She said Keshier encouraged her to launch their business.
“I always did want to own a business like a bakery or catering,” Mandisa said.
As a vegan, Mandisa also wanted something vegan to delight her sweet tooth but often wasn’t satisfied with what she found in the stores.
“So for about seven months, I worked on the recipes,” Mandisa said. “They were all very terrible.”
She laughed.
“We threw a lot of stuff out the back door to the squirrels and the rabbits and stuff starting out,” Mandisa said. “But after about seven or eight months of playing around with the different egg substitutes and meat substitutes, I got it down ...
“It was a lot of trial and error, and while I was doing that, she (Keshier) was going and getting our name, getting our cottage license and we got our trademarking done. That way, we were fully licensed by the time we got started.”
‘In every way’
Keshier, who was diagnosed with severe dyslexia when she was 12, is an overcomer. She has a successful career in the insurance industry, a doctorate and often shares her story as inspiration to others.
She’s able to work from home when not traveling and works at their business part-time.
With five weeks of vacation, Keshier said she makes sure to schedule her time off for vegan festivals and other pop-up events.
“Wherever she is, I’m there,” Keshier said. “I just want people to know that I support her in every way and I support her dream in every way.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 12:00 AM.