‘Utterly heartbroken’: Beloved owner of Kansas City area bakery dies at 58
Robin Knight, owner of gluten-free Emily Kate’s Bakery in Kansas City, Kansas, has died from lung cancer complications. She was 58.
Knight’s cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies and other baked goods are sold in grocery stores across the Kansas City area, as well as in her shop at 3008 S. 44th St.
“We are so grieved, shocked, and utterly heartbroken to share that our founder and owner, Robin Knight, passed away on September 8,” the bakery shared in a social media post. “Her ingenuity, tenacity, creativity, and mentorship will be sorely missed. What a lasting mark she has made on us all.”
The bakery is “staying open and continuing to grow,” manager Kayla Walker told The Star, but the loss of Knight has been difficult for staff.
“She was such an amazing woman, and we are all grateful to have been a part of the team that has been able to serve a community in need,” Walker said.
Knight, a graduate of Pleasant Hill High School and the University of Missouri, opened the business after her daughters, Emily and Katie, were diagnosed with celiac disease. Facing a lack of tasty gluten-free treats, she began testing her own recipes in her kitchen.
“I’m trying to make a decent cupcake for a kid who is sad about no more cupcakes, and I’m looking around at what’s out there and thinking there’s a huge gap in the marketplace for food that is good and delicious and not full of mold inhibitors or other things you don’t want to put in your body,” Knight told The Star earlier this year.
In 2015, Knight opened the bakery’s original location in Prairie Village at 4521 W. 90th St.
“In the early days of the bakery, Robin would wake up at 3:30, go to the shop … and bake a few things, run deliveries to local coffee shops and stores, and then head to her day job in advertising at 8,” reads a post from the bakery.
“EKB was one of the first exclusively gluten free bakeries in the metro area, and we are grateful for the many that have popped up since. Robin believed that a food allergy shouldn’t get in the way of the joy and pleasure found with great food, and this legacy will live on in EKB forever.”
Emily Kate’s treats are sold in Kansas City Whole Foods, Cosentino’s Price Choppers and several coffee shops.
Knight’s share of the business will remain with her daughters. She brought on a team of investors about a year ago to help grow the business, Walker said.
This story was originally published September 20, 2023 at 12:48 PM.