For Tatiana McCullough, the journey to owning Miss Chickpea’s Bake Shop began long before opening day. What started as a childhood love of cooking eventually led to the determination and unwavering commitment to become one of San Antonio’s most recognizable vegan bakeries, located at 10105 Broadway, right by the airport.
“I discovered my passion for food when I was 12 years old after making homemade shrimp stuffed ravioli. Throughout high school, I cooked all of my family’s meals, and became interested in cake decorating at around age 14, inspired by shows like Ace of Cakes and Cupcake Wars,” McCullough told What Now San Antonio in an exclusive interview.
“After taking some time out as a teen mom after high school, I moved to Austin and earned my certificate in baking and pastry from Le Cordon Bleu.”
Those early ambitions evolved into Miss Chickpea’s Bake Shop, which officially opened in 2018. The business was launched entirely through McCullough’s personal savings, with little outside financial support.
Originally, the bakery opened in a small 600-square-foot end-cap space near Callahan Road and Interstate 10, but it has since expanded into a 2,500-square-foot warehouse.
McCullough spent countless hours refining recipes before officially opening. She focused on transforming traditional baked goods into vegan creations without sacrificing flavor or texture.
“I started by playing around with my base recipes, turning them vegan, and making them for friends, who gave me really great feedback,” she explained.
That experimentation laid the foundation for a menu that continues to draw devoted customers. Miss Chickpea’s Bake Shop offers an extensive selection of vegan pastries, custom cakes, seasonal desserts, savory offerings, and specialty beverages. Among the bakery’s biggest crowd-pleasers are its signature Toasters, cinnamon rolls, and buttery vegan croissants.
The bakery also keeps its offerings fresh by introducing seasonal Toaster varieties every month or so, and collaborates with local suppliers on limited-time beverages and pastries. Many ingredients are sourced from fellow Texas businesses, including Mira Matcha, Maber Co., Happy Gut Foods, and Happyness Tea Co.
Other involvement with the local community includes partnerships with Blooming with Birdie, a local nonprofit Montessori school, where the business participates in events such as the Monarch Festival. Miss Chickpea’s is also active in Sprout and About at Rainbow Gardens on the first and third Saturdays of each month, and frequently supports nonprofit 5K events, benefiting organizations including SNIPSA and the 100 Club.
Making connections locally is so important for an entrepreneur, especially in the competitive F&B industry, McCullough explained.
“Make sure that you build relationships with other small business owners in a similar field who can help guide you along the way,” she said. “We like to stress the importance of supporting small businesses. We are a local business, and we actively focus on supporting other small local businesses.”
