Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Carmen.
Hi Jake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Food has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up on the East Coast—originally from New York—I was the kid who ran the neighborhood kitchen. My neighbors called me “Bakeman” because I’d recruit other kids as sous chefs while we cooked quesadillas, baked desserts, and delivered meals to the adults. It was my first real taste of how food brings people together.
That love deepened in college at the University of Pennsylvania. I took a psychology of food class that opened my eyes to the cultural and communal power of food, and I’d explore different restaurants around Philadelphia with classmates and friends. Around the same time, I became fascinated by Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. Watching him travel and connect with people through food showed me just how powerful it can be in building community.
As an athlete—a competitive swimmer, runner, and someone who does ocean swims and marathons—fueling myself became a big part of my lifestyle. After my first marathon, I discovered several food sensitivities, which pushed me toward a gluten-free diet and made me more mindful about what I put in my body. I’ve always loved granola bars, but as an adult I realized most on the market—even at “healthy” stores—were filled with processed ingredients and added sugars. Frustrated, I started making my own.
At first, the bars were just for me. Simple, high-quality, made with real ingredients, and delicious. When friends tried them and kept asking for more, Bakeman’s Bars was born. Over the last year, I’ve focused on creating a gluten-free granola bar made with 100% real ingredients that tastes great and aligns with my mission: made good, tastes good, feels good. I want people to experience joy knowing the snack they’re eating is healthy, delicious, and made with care.
Today, Bakeman’s Bars are sold at the Santa Monica Pico Farmers Market and all four Hive locations—Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, and Manhattan Beach. Seeing people’s reactions, hearing how much they love the bars, and watching this idea grow has meant everything to me. I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received along the way—whether it’s mentorship, showing up at the Farmers Market or Hive locations, helping make bars, or cheering me on.
I’m excited to continue building Bakeman’s Bars, keep creating new flavors, and share my love of food, community, and healthy living with more people across Los Angeles and beyond—one bar at a time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road—there are always ups and downs, and it’s really the pursuit of constant problem-solving. But I’m loving every minute of it. Every day brings something new, whether it’s addressing shelf-life issues, responding to customer feedback, figuring out how to scale, managing inventory, or producing bars out of my home kitchen.
It’s really a “one step at a time, one day at a time, sometimes even one hour at a time” process. One early lesson came from watching how flavors sell differently. When I first launched my initial three flavors—Apple Cinnamon, Peanut Butter Banana, and Coconut Date—I noticed that Apple Cinnamon wasn’t connecting with customers at the Farmers Market or Hive. I experimented, gathered feedback, tweaked the recipe, and created the Apple Pie flavor—which is now one of our bestsellers. I also started noticing the difference between the hype around seasonal flavors—like Pumpkin Pie and Peach Cobbler—and the steady, reliable popularity of traditional flavors such as Peanut Butter Banana, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Raisin. Understanding those patterns has helped me strategically plan production, manage inventory, and anticipate customer preferences.
I’ve also had to navigate shelf-life challenges. When you use 100% real ingredients, shelf life becomes critical. Learning how to manage inventory, store bars properly, and understand how long they stay fresh at room temperature vs. refrigerator/freezer is essential—especially for retail, where sometimes bars sell out in just a few days, and other times it can take weeks for them to clear. I quickly learned that pumpkin pie bars hold more moisture and spoil faster, which meant swapping out bars at Hive locations before they went bad. Managing a growing inventory even led me to purchase a freezer just to store everything safely—my fridge and freezer were so full of granola bars that there was barely room for my own groceries. Making bars in my home kitchen also means balancing personal cooking with production—a real challenge that requires careful planning, time management, and constant organization.
Another milestone (and funny moment) was fulfilling my first online order—to a friend in New York City. I found myself asking: How do I even ship granola bars? Suddenly I was dealing with a whole new world of logistics—keeping them fresh, preventing crumbling, and making sure they arrived exactly the way I intended. That process really opened my eyes to the level of intention required behind every detail.
I’ve also learned the importance of trust and relationships, from hiring my first employee to working closely with customers and retailers. One memorable moment happened while I was on vacation in Mexico: my employee had to fulfill an order on her own while also navigating a hiking mishap where she and a friend got stranded in the mountains and had a near-death encounter with a mountain lion. Thankfully everything turned out okay, but the experience taught me a lot about trust, preparation, and adaptability.
Balancing all of this while wearing many hats—making the bars, marketing, packaging, sending weekly newsletters, delivering orders, business development—has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. I try to view every obstacle as a learning experience and an opportunity to improve the business. Mistakes happen, but they’ve taught me to be in tune with how I want to operate and the people I want to work with.
It’s been a fun ride so far, and I’m excited to see Bakeman’s Bars continue to grow—one step and one bar at a time.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bakeman’s Bars. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Bakeman’s Bars is a small, Santa Monica–based business focused on creating high-quality, gluten-free granola bars made with 100% real ingredients. The brand was born out of my own food sensitivities, my lifelong love of granola bars as a swimmer growing up, and my desire for a genuinely healthy, great-tasting snack I could feel good about eating.
We specialize in crafting bars that are made good, taste good, and feel good—snacks that are both delicious and nourishing, without compromising on quality. Our current lineup includes Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Banana, Coconut Date, Chocolate Chip, Cacao Cherry, Mulberry Matcha, and Oatmeal Raisin, along with seasonal favorites like Peach Cobbler and Pumpkin Pie.
What sets us apart is our commitment to health-conscious, thoughtfully sourced ingredients combined with flavors that people genuinely enjoy. Many granola bars on the market are filled with processed ingredients, added sugars, or artificial flavors. At Bakeman’s, every bar is made from scratch with whole foods—oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, natural sugars—so that you can enjoy a healthy snack that tastes amazing and supports a mindful, balanced lifestyle.
I’m most proud of the brand we’ve built and the joy it brings to people. Whether it’s at the Santa Monica Pico Farmers Market, direct sales, or in one of the four Hive retail locations—Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, and Manhattan Beach—it’s incredibly rewarding to see people’s excitement, share our flavors, and hear how much they love the bars. I especially love seeing my regulars each week, interacting with new customers, and building relationships with the people who support Bakeman’s. It’s more than just a product; it’s about building a community around healthy, feel-good food.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot I’m excited about. People are constantly asking when they’ll be able to order online, so creating a website with full online ordering and shipping is high on the list. Another big goal is launching Bakeman’s merchandise, including shirts, hoodies, and hats. I’m also exploring ways to expand into more retail locations, from local health-focused stores to larger chains like Whole Foods, Erewhon, or Sprouts in the future. Beyond grocery stores, I’m thinking about the health and fitness space, hotels, airports, and other partnerships where people want healthy, wholesome snacks. I’m also experimenting with new flavors, so stay tuned! These plans are still in motion, but the goal is clear: to bring Bakeman’s Bars to more people while keeping every bar made with care, quality, and joy.
For readers, I want them to know that Bakeman’s Bars are healthy granola bars made with intention, care, and joy in every bite. Every bar is crafted to fuel your body, delight your taste buds, and bring a little happiness to your day. From creating new flavors to connecting with customers, everything we do is rooted in sharing our love for high-quality, wholesome food.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
What I’d love readers to know is how grateful I am for all the support I’ve received—from the people who stop by the Farmers Market every week, to the customers who pick up a bar at the Hive, to the friends and mentors who have encouraged me along the way. Bakeman’s Bars started as something I made in my home kitchen, and it has grown because of the community around it. If you value healthy, high-quality food made with care, I’d love for you to try a bar and be part of this journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bakemansbars.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakemansbars/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakemansbars
