Anyone Ever Consider Opening A gluten-free Bakery?

[mznia504]

I'm strongly considering this. I have always loved to bake, and now with my son who has Celiac Disease, I love the challenge that comes with experimenting on gluten-free batches and seeing what I can do to make them better and tastier. I don't believe that there are any dedicated gluten-free bakeries in the Louisiana area, so I'm starting to do my research to see if this would be a good plan for me. I'm very excited about this, but I know it will take sometime to get things off the ground. Wish me luck!

[AlysounRI]

I'm strongly considering this. I have always loved to bake, and now with my son who has Celiac Disease, I love the challenge that comes with experimenting on gluten-free batches and seeing what I can do to make them better and tastier. I don't believe that there are any dedicated gluten-free bakeries in the Louisiana area, so I'm starting to do my research to see if this would be a good plan for me. I'm very excited about this, but I know it will take sometime to get things off the ground. Wish me luck!

I wish you luck if you do!!

Especially if you have a niche to fill!!

I'm sure a lot of people in your state would thank you, too.

~Allison

[exsandohs163]

there are two where I live and they both stay busy!

[jkmunchkin]

I think a lot depends on where you live.

I'm in NY and we have a few. Babycakes is in the city and seems to be doing very well. Tully's recently opened in the city also but I don't know much about it. My friend owns Three Dogs Gluten Free Bakery in the suburbs of Westchester (Briarcliff to be exact) and she too is doing very well.

[mushroom]

We have only one gluten free (dedicated) bakery that I know of in our city of 300,000 and they just keep expanding.... But still small enough for individualized attention - they bake special batches for me without potato starch Many people will not trust shared facilities; I know I won't. Go for it.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

I think there is a need for glutenfree bakeries anywhere. It just depends on how much of a need. What I mean by that is, that in a city with thousands of people you might be pretty busy with a full time bakery. However, if you live more in a country area, then you might still get business, but you might have to consider another part time job somewhere, because the bakery alone might not bring in enough. However I think, that glutenfree people anywhere (and they are everywhere) would by at a facility, that does glutenfree only.

I wish you all the luck in the world. I know, if I wouldn't have my Martial Arts Academy, my second choice of business would be a glutenfree bakery. Oh, well, maybe when I retire from sports, cause you can't do it forever pure physically speaking.

Stef

[ali11]

I commend anyone who wants to help other people by opening a gluten-free bakery. Best of luck!

A new gluten-free cafe and bakery just opened in town nearby mine. I'm really excited! I'm going to go there in the next couple days to check it out. Here's their website if it helps: Open Original Shared Link

[Tigercat17]

That's awesome!

I live in Pittsburgh & we do have a gluten free bakery called The Gluuteny. I think they do pretty well & I being a celiac, I really appreciate their efforts. They do agreat job! When I first was diagnosed I was so happy that they made fresh gluten free bread - I could've cried! Oh and their chocolate chip cookies are the best - you can't even tell they are gluten free!

Here is their website if you'd like it for your research.

Open Original Shared Link

I think it's a great idea & I do wish you all the best!!!!

[Nor-TX]

I live in a suburb outside of Dallas Texas and to my knowledge there is no gluten free bakery or restaurant. Has anyone heard of one around here?

[Korwyn]

We have one in our county (population ~80,000). They started out as a regular bakery, and ran a couple of 'gluten-free' special days using gluten-free things they purchased wholesale. They were stunned at the response, and after a series of test runs converted to a gluten-free bakery.

We also have an excellent catering company that is entirely gluten free. They don't explicitly advertise this fact, it is just part of their business. One of them has celiac and the other is severely gluten intolerant. They converted their entire business over to gluten free after diagnosis, and they have said that they frequently have people come up to them after catered lunches or dinners and tell them, "I love it when you doing the catering. It seems to be the only time I eat that I don't have an upset stomach afterwards," or similar comments.

[stef-the-kicking-cuty]

Haha, funny, they should charge for diagnosing people. Or at least putting them onto the right track.

[luvs2eat]

I'd love it if you did... and if you lived in north-central Arkansas! I'd come and be your "go-fer" or assistant or clean-up person or garbage collector or anything you wanted!

I've not had really good luck w/ my baking efforts and have pretty much abandoned baking altogether. I use Pamela's bread mix and love it... but some of the bread I purchased from Wegman's (frozen) was so delicious... a french baguette that was light and airy... that I'm thinking it's not only the recipe/ingredients, but the machines they're using that I don't have access to.

I had a gluten free cupcake w/ mocha cream frosting and a layer of chocolate ganache on top of that in Philadelphia recently. The cupcake was so moist and tasted like cupcakes-of-old... I've never been able to reproduce that kind of moisture or taste in a gluten free cake/cupcakes.

I've come to accept/embrace almost all the things I can cook... you really can't tell it's gluten free... except for baking. I guess I still remember the tastes/textures of gluten baking and haven't been able to embrace the differences in gluten free baking.

[knomad]

I am newly diagnosed with celiac and new to this forum. I have been learning a lot from reading all the posts. Thank you all!

For Nor-Tex: I just visited a gluten free bakery here in Dallas today. It just opened last Thursday. It's a mother and daughter who both have celiac. I came home with a whole bag of goodies - white bread, wheat bread, pumpkin bread, and brownies. The samples I tasted at the store were delicious. The name of the bakery is Wholesome Foods Bakery and it is at the corner of Buckner and Northcliff near White Rock Lake. I think they have a website. Hope this helps!

[gf-soph]

In general the gluten free market seems to be doing very well, you just have to look at the explosion of products and gluten free menus over the last few years. Even in the 2 years I have been gluten free there has been some major increases in availability.

I live in Sydney and there are a few different gluten free bakeries that I know of, but one in particular has gone massive in the last couple of years. They started as one shop with a dedicated gluten-free facility, and now there are 4-5 stores. They have also expanded their range from the basics to incude ready meals and more snack foods. Part of their success is that they are very knowledgable about other special diets, and know their products very well. They also advertise with our celiac societies. I know that for me, what sets them apart is that I really trust them. As you well know, celiacs get so used to checking for contamination, that to walk into a place and be able to be confident that your food is safe is a big deal.

I wish you the best of luck, I think it's great that you have taken to cooking gluten free with such enthusiam - your son is very lucky!

[MelindaLee]

I'm strongly considering this. I have always loved to bake, and now with my son who has Celiac Disease, I love the challenge that comes with experimenting on gluten-free batches and seeing what I can do to make them better and tastier. I don't believe that there are any dedicated gluten-free bakeries in the Louisiana area, so I'm starting to do my research to see if this would be a good plan for me. I'm very excited about this, but I know it will take sometime to get things off the ground. Wish me luck!

I had the same thought the other day! My DS has been avoiding gluten for years by self diagnosis. I was recently diagnosed "by accident". We both love to bake, and decided this would be a great idea. I have no clue where to start though. I would love to share ideas. I am way up in Green Bay WI, so I know there wouldn't be any competition!

[MindytheOrganist]

Go for it! If I were better at baking, I'd try it. As far as I know, Cedar Rapids, Iowa does not have a gluten-free bakery (If I'm wrong, PLEASE! correct me!!!)!!!

Tigercat17, is that a dauchsund? What a cutie! I have a mini-longhair.

[Black Sheep]

A woman who owns a tiny restaurant in a very small town near here decided to offer anything on her menu made g.f. My first visit there, I asked her if she had seen any increase in business because of it--I was curious because I been told by a waitress in a restaurant down the street from her, the night before that they didn't offer any g.f. food because "There's not enough people out there who need it, and it just wouldn't be worth the trouble and expense." When I told the owner of the g.f. restaurant this, her jaw dropped and she said that she'd had so much business since offering g.f. food (and catering!), she could barely keep up. In fact she needed to move to a bigger place, and start offering dinner as well as breakfast and lunch.

Then she told us how a woman from the next town over had started baking g.f. for her celiac hubby, and when people heard of it they wanted her to bake for them, too. So she rented the restaurant owner's kitchen to do her baking and started selling like crazy. Pretty soon she realized she just needed to bite the bullet and open a bakery. She did, and once again the response was overwhelming.

So now this tiny tourist town has a g.f. bakery, g.f. restaurant, plus one other restaurant that offers g.f. pizza, and their businesses are booming. Even in small towns, provided they're not too isolated, there's a huge need, because although there may not be a big population, when the word gets out then people from the surrounding area will come in droves! Also I've noticed that a lot of people who aren't celiac eat g.f. anyway, because they are convinced it is a healthier way to eat.

So my vote is go for it! We need more people out there like you!

[Wenmin]

Where are you located in Louisiana?

I live near Thibodaux and would be willing to drive a ways to find some gluten free goodies...

Wenmin

[luvs2eat]

I just spent 2 weeks visiting kids in Portland, OR. I went to the New Cascadia bakery THREE times while there. I don't know about opening up my own bakery, but I'd love to simply work at the New Cascadia!!

[Black Sheep]

New Cascadia---is that a franchise, or a privately-owned bakery?