HOLLAND, Mich. — For those on a restricted diet finding food options at local restaurants or bakeries can be challenging.
But thanks to a bakery in Holland that offers gluten free, sugar free, low carb, and keto friendly products the choices are overwhelming but in the best way.
On the corner of South River Ave and 4th Street in Holland you’ll find the new location of Bliss Gluten-Free Bakery and Café.
A dream of owner Krista Koets that started about seven years ago.
"I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. And so, I just do better on a gluten free diet. We started in October of 2019, in the basement as a bakery operating under Michigan's cottage industry laws," Koets said.
The pandemic worked well for the business model of the bakery which operated on home deliveries and has a staple at local farmer’s markets.
Eventually a small location in Hamilton was opened which Bliss quickly outgrew.
“We started to look around and we saw that Saunders had closed. And we came and looked at it. And within just a couple of days we had signed the lease. And then we started the seven-month process of completely renovating everything in this space," Koets said.
Now open, the larger space has a much bigger selection.
“Right now in our bakery cases, on our sweet side we have over 40 different varieties and then we add about 20 different varieties of breads.”
While other places that offer gluten free rely on rice flour Bliss has a slightly different take.
"We use an almond flour base. And so that gives us a little bit more moisture, a much longer shelf life and in my opinion, a tastier product.”
The bakery is even jumping on the sober curious bandwagon with mocktails, coffee drinks, smoothies, and other savory dishes.
“If you add the diabetics, folks who are gluten intolerant, celiac, all of those together, that can add up to nearly 30% of the population and that doesn't include undiagnosed folks. It's super intentional, that we have this huge variety”
A variety that may seem overwhelming but only is a blissfully irresistible delicious kind of way.
Plans are in the works to renovate the Hamilton location and turn it into a retail space.
To celebrate the opening of the new location the bakery is giving out coupons to every customer this month.
Bliss bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information click, here.
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