Sticky Business
A Plant-Based Path to Success
Written BY: James Whitman
For 25 years, Chef Doron Petersan, known affectionate- ly as “Sticky,” has been quietly reimagining comfort food. Long before “plant-based” became part of the everyday culinary lexicon, she was baking cinnamon buns that made vegans and omnivores alike line up outside her bakery Sticky Fingers. Her early mission was clear: show people that decadent, crave-worthy baked goods didn’t have to rely on animal products. It was never about what was missing—it was always about what was possible.
Now, with the launch of Baked by Sticky, Petersan is scaling that vision beyond her beloved Washington, D.C. bakeries into homes nationwide. The new line of packaged cookies, brownies, and baking mixes ships across the U.S., and is already finding its way onto retail shelves. Although all are still 100% vegan, you’d never know it unless someone told you. “We’re just here to prove that a cookie made without butter, eggs, or dairy can still be the best cookie on the shelf,” Petersan says. “Whether you’re vegan or have food allergies, or just want something delicious, you don’t have to compromise.”
Many entrepreneurs wondering whether to go big, can look at how Pertersan’s vision has evolved from a small storefront to a growing con- sumer packaged goods brand, complete with a new manufacturing facil- ity. Petersan has mapped out her next move with striking clarity: having her products in three sections of the grocery store—fresh bakery, center- store cookies, and functional foods—offering indulgence, utility, and nutrition, all in one unified brand. It’s a pivotal moment in her entrepre- neurial journey. Taking Baked by Sticky national, she’s had to master the worlds of corporate grocery sales, investor relations, and managing a pro- fessional sales team. It’s a far cry from making sticky buns at a Columbia Heights bakery, and it’s a challenge she welcomes. “It’s energizing,” she says. “I’ve spent years perfecting the product—now I’m learning how to scale it. This is a whole new craft, and I’m excited to master it.”
Petersan acknowledges that mission and product alone aren’t enough, and it hasn’t been a linear path to get to where Baked by Sticky is today. There were retail expansions and contractions, and plenty of difficult decisions made on gut and grit. But through it all, she has stayed grounded in her values—environmental responsibility, animal welfare, and a belief that everyone deserves access to better food. And just like the smiling face on the packaging, she still can’t wait to sit down to take her first bite out of a Sticky cookie or brownie.