Living in Minnesota, Mitchell Chang and his wife, Meanarie, grew tired of the snow and of his high-stress job in car sales. For a better work-life balance (and better weather), they moved to the Valley.

But sunshine and relaxation weren’t the Valley’s only benefit; they discovered the 7-year-old Cinnaholic Gilbert, which specializes in 100% plant-based, gourmet cinnamon rolls that are also dairy-, lactose-, egg- and cholesterol-free.

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To celebrate their month-old endeavor, the couple is offering $2 “Old Skool Rolls” — Chang’s favorite — from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 11. 

The rolls are customizable: almond, banana cream, cake batter, caramel, chai, chocolate, coffee, cream cheese, crème brûlée, hazelnut, lemon, maple, marshmallow, orange, peanut butter, raspberry, strawberry or vanilla. 

“This is something we could eat and share with the family,” said Mitchell, who has a culinary arts degree, worked at Disney World in Orlando, and at Italian and Asian restaurants. 

“The nice, delicious, warm treats drew us — and other families — together. I also fell in love with the sense of community that Cinnaholic created. Families celebrate birthdays. Friends gather for a sweet treat. People make lasting memories. Cinnaholic has developed a loyal following, especially in the vegan community. Without the community, Cinnaholic wouldn’t have lasted this long.” 

Mitchell and Meanarie were happy with the move. 

“She said, ‘Mitch, you can make as much money as you want, but what you can’t do with money is buy back time to spend time with me, spend time with the kids,’” he recalled. 

“The lightbulb went off so I quit my job in a week. I went to a U-Haul and brought our stuff down and got situated at the house. I flew back out after a week of training here at Cinnaholic with the previous owner. I picked up my wife and kids, and we came down, and the rest is history. We’re here and we love it.” 

The couple is looking for community organizations to support, such as local football teams and nonprofits. They have already paired with schools and food banks.

“If I have leftovers, I donate it to a local foundation in Gilbert,” he said. “They donate it to people in need. 

“Giving back is my No. 1 priority and, in turn, the community will help us as well.”