Leanne Battelle

1 week ago | marinij.com | Leanne Battelle

Cookies by Shannon started not with a craving for sweets but with a desire for a creative side hustle. Two years after posting her first Valentine’s Day cookie presale on Instagram, Kentfield resident Shannon Terschluse is now booking months in advance as demand grows for her intricately decorated sugar cookies that can double as centerpieces, party favors or an event activity.

1 week ago | marinij.com | Leanne Battelle

A casual cake-decorating class with friends in her home state of Iowa in her 20s revealed that Lindsay Holdorf had both a knack for baking and an eye for design. By 2013, she had opened Live Love Bake, a full-service cupcake and custom cake shop in Des Moines. When her family relocated to Marin a year later for her husband’s job, it meant the opportunity to return her focus more exclusively to the baking while leaving the operational elements of a retail business behind.

2 weeks ago | marinij.com | Leanne Battelle

San Geronimo resident Melissa Esposito of Melissa’s Breads never planned to start a small-batch bread business. But three years ago, when the formally trained chef asked the local community on Nextdoor if they too were struggling with finding vegan and wheat-free bread, nearly 300 responses poured in, confirming her hunch that there was a real gap in the market. In the span of two weeks, Esposito developed a recipe, established a website and obtained a cottage food license.

3 weeks ago | marinij.com | Leanne Battelle

San Rafael’s downtown lights up from 5 to 9 p.m. on the second Friday of the month (June 13, July 11 and Aug. 8) when its summer market returns on a new night and with a revamped spin that includes live music, local artisans, a beer garden and a mix of bites from regional pop-ups.

1 month ago | marinij.com | Leanne Battelle

When it opened last year, Mama’s Luncheonette, a takeout spot in San Francisco, made waves as word spread and lines formed for inventive, flavor-layered breakfast burritos and savory wraps. The second location brings the business and its owners back to the city where they grew up.