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Celiac.com 05/28/2024 - Heaven, a gluten-free bakery in Northeast Minneapolis, is facing financial challenges despite its dedication and passion for producing celiac-safe, gluten-free sourdough bread. Polina and Vlad, the owners of Heaven, have launched a fundraising campaign to save their business from shutting down. The Journey of Heaven Bakery Polina and Vlad, friends for over 20 years and originally from Ukraine, immigrated to Minnesota in 2022. They noticed a lack of consistent gluten-free options in the area, which inspired them to start baking gluten-free bread at home. Their bread quickly gained popularity among friends and family, leading them to pitch their product to Hold the Wheat bakery in St. Louis Park, where their bread was well-received. Encouraged by the positive feedback, Polina and Vlad decided to launch their own brand, Heaven, specializing in celiac-safe, gluten-free sourdough bread. They initially operated from a shared kitchen space but later moved to their dedicated kitchen in Northeast Minneapolis after obtaining a commercial license. Challenges Faced by Heaven Bakery Despite their initial success, transitioning to a dedicated kitchen brought unforeseen challenges. Polina and Vlad dedicated long hours to produce fresh sourdough bread, focusing on quality and health benefits. However, the increased costs of a dedicated kitchen, including ingredients, deliveries, and utilities, left little room for profit. Their commitment to using high-quality, healthy ingredients without preservatives meant higher production costs. Despite their efforts to negotiate better pricing with suppliers and reduce retail prices, the sales volumes did not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, leading to financial strain. The Fundraising Effort Realizing the critical need for financial support, Polina and Vlad launched a GoFundMe campaign to save Heaven Bakery from shutting down. The campaign aims to raise funds to cover the costs of operating the dedicated kitchen until they can expand their customer base and achieve sustainable profitability. Community Support and Future Plans The GoFundMe campaign has garnered support from the local community, raising over $7,600 of its $20,000 goal. Polina and Vlad express their gratitude to supporters and encourage them to spread the word about Heaven Bakery, share their story on social media, and consider purchasing bread or gift cards to support the business. Despite the current challenges, Polina and Vlad remain optimistic about the future of Heaven Bakery. They plan to launch additional locations in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, emphasizing their commitment to providing celiac-safe, gluten-free bread that is nurturing to both the body and soul. Heaven Bakery's journey reflects the passion and dedication of its owners in providing high-quality, healthy gluten-free bread to the community. While facing financial struggles, Polina and Vlad's determination to save their bakery highlights the resilience of small businesses in overcoming challenges with community support and perseverance. Read more at: bringmethenews.com

Celiac.com 01/28/2020 - Whole Foods Market will be closing its main gluten-free bakery for the entire Southern US market, a move that is expected to leave over 100 employees out of a job. The company, Gluten-Free Bakehouse, is set to close on March 8th, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. How the move will impact the company's supply of gluten-free bakery products remains unclear. The move mainly seems to be a result competition. The company says that the bakery has played a steadily shrinking role in its gluten-free offering over the years. Started in 2004 by Lee Tobin, a Whole Foods Market employee with celiac disease, who had developed gluten-free recipes in his own kitchen, the facility was an immediate hit with sensitive gluten-free consumers. The Gluten Free Bakehouse featured an onsite testing lab, with every lot number of incoming ingredients and a sample of each finished product tested for the absence of gluten. The facility’s products are only available at Whole Foods Market stores in the United States and Canada. The products are shipped to the stores frozen. Whole Foods Market says it is "working closely with all impacted team members and hope to place them in our nearby locations or in other roles within the company.”