Kelly Phillips of KP’s Kake Pops has had an “overwhelming” few months, from facing a potential misdemeanor count to helping inspire a change in state law.
In December, the Henrico County resident — whose treats range from custom cake pops to French macarons and chocolate pretzels — received a citation from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a state regulatory agency. It alleged that a social media post she made to promote her small business was in violation of state law.
Failure to resolve the issue could have resulted in a misdemeanor charge, a state official informed her.
“It was just tears and lots and lots of devastation for about 48 hours,” Phillips said in an interview on Monday.
Flash-forward to March. State lawmakers had moved expeditiously to adjust state law to benefit small businesses like hers that sell low-risk foods, like baked goods and pickles, from home or at farmers markets.
Kelly Phillips, …