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Soon after taking over Karen’s Gluten-Free Bakery in Sedona more than a year ago, Anastassiya McPherson knew opening another location would be next.

With custom orders and customers arriving from Flagstaff on weekends, and proposals to open franchise locations coming in, it almost seemed inevitable that the business would expand. And that’s how the Coffee Inn, located at 121 E. Birch Ave. in downtown Flagstaff, was born.

“We’ve been looking for a location for a long time before we decided on this,� said McPherson, who lives in Flagstaff and had been trekking down to Sedona regularly. “This has been empty for over a year, almost two years. It was a lot of work here; it took double the time that they had told us.�

Opening in July, the Coffee Inn offers numerous baked items that would be familiar to customers of Karen’s in Sedona, in addition to various coffee and tea options, and salads and sandwiches for lunches. As the name states, Karen’s has focused on baked goods that appeal to those looking for either gluten-free or vegan options.

McPherson began working at Karen’s soon after moving to Flagstaff in 2022, having worked at a classic French bakery while living in Massachusetts.

“That’s when I started thinking that I wanted to be more a part of having my own bakery or coffee shop,� McPherson said. “I just enjoy the atmosphere of the coffee shops, the small of everything.�

After working at Karen’s and learning from the original owner, McPherson began to realize she had a knack for the work and began to explore what else she might be able to create. Working to adjust recipes to become gluten- or dairy-free, McPherson then blended that with ideas gathered during her time living in areas of Europe.

Among those ideas was treating the shops as something more similar to a community gathering space. Inside of the Coffee Inn, McPherson created a space for children to play and has plans to offer weekly activities for kids inside the shop. Baking classes that don’t involve an oven and art or music classes are all ideas McPherson said she has thought about as those kinds of activities are common for coffee shops in Europe.

While the plan for the business has been in place, both in Sedona and Flagstaff, McPherson said the work has now been on getting more signage up and marketing the business so customers know it has expanded to Flagstaff.

McPherson still regularly travels between the two locations, with much of the baking done in Sedona, while preparation work on other menu items is done in Flagstaff. The additional location, allowing for an expanded customer base, has actually made much of the baking an easier task.

“It just makes sense when you think about it,� McPherson said. “The baking, it’s easy for me to make 45 cupcakes and split it into two than make 12 only for one location.�

McPherson said she’s found bars have grown into a popular item, because of their ability to last longer and be more convenient for people on the go than something like a cupcake. With baked breakfast items and bars that can be taken to hikes in Sedona growing in popularity, McPherson noted how important it’s been to have items that won’t melt.

With Thanksgiving and Christmas ahead, McPherson has begun to take advance orders for seasonal pies, breads or cakes. Options include pecan pie, peanut butter pie, cheesecake and dinner rolls, with vegan dinner rolls or chickpea dinner rolls options for gluten- and dairy-free customers. Though a specific list of options for Christmas isn’t finalized just yet, McPherson said some similar options would be available.

Last year in Sedona, McPherson found cookie platters to be popular among customers for special events or family gatherings, again available for those looking for a vegan option. Those interested in their options for the holidays were encouraged to visit the Coffee Inn and find out what might be available for their celebrations.

“It’s very important to know why we’re going to be different from like Safeway or Sam’s Club,� McPherson said. “It’s gluten free, dairy free, all of my nuts and crust are pretty much organic, and they’re made with no processed sugar. It’s coconut sugar, organic and maple syrup -- which is obviously also more family oriented.�

Individual slices for smaller get-togethers are also available. McPherson estimates that special orders for Thanksgiving would be needed around Nov. 25, with the holiday falling on Thursday, Nov. 28, this year.

The Coffee Inn is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be found on Instagram at @coffeeinnbakery.