After I moved to St. Louis I discovered a gluten free store/bakery about an hour from my home that I have visited on a number of occasions. They are, of course, quite expensive, but offered tasty food and retail items I had never found anywhere else. I didn't make it there on a regular basis having it so far away, and to be honest something seemed off in a way, every time I was there.
The owner seemed to be about the rudest, grumpiest person around. I would ask for information about doctors or other gluten free locations in the city and tips for gluten free cooking. Most of the time I couldn't even get an answer. I once placed an order that they were going to deliver to a grocery store closer to where I live and despite having a receipt showing I paid for the product when I picked it up the owner refused to let me purchase any other items until I paid again, as their records showed it had not been paid for. For the longest time I assumed that for whatever reason she just didn't like me, as I would see her being friendly to other customers in the store.
After almost four years of dealing with the place, on a whim I started to ask around to see if anyone else had a similar experience. The first people I asked were friends and family that had visited the store to purchase items for me. They too said that they were treated like they were inconveniencing the staff by being there. Then I asked other Celiac's that were customers there what their experiences were. Not a single person I talked to had a positive thing to say about the place, except that their products tasted good. The last person I asked is a fellow Celiac that I have gotten to know quite well by shopping at another gluten free bakery in the St. Louis area. As it turns out she knew the other owner quite well, agreed she was not a very nice person and does not have Celiac disease, or a family connection to any type of gluten intolerance.
This information inspired me to do some research and investigating of my own. I found out they stumbled into the gluten free business. The owner was manufacturing a few products that were naturally gluten free and a customer advised them if they advertised as gluten free they could make a killing. They apparently decided to set aside some of their product (which was EXACTLY the same as the other) and label it as gluten free and charge a few dollars extra. And it worked. This made them decide to start making other gluten free products and sell them for a large profit. Soon the store had turned into an exclusive gluten free locale.
During my investigation I met an employee. They were hesitant to share too much information regarding their experience but did say that they felt the company only existed to make as much money off gluten free consumers as possible and shared two examples with me. One was they host occasional gluten free vendor fairs and charge a hefty sum for companies that wish to buy a booth for the fair as well as charging a high price for admission. Doctors and lecturers were all volunteers, food and drinks were all at a cost so the company comes out of the vendor fair with a significant amount of money in their pockets. The second was when they have a new product they label it was a hefty price tag and slowly lower the price until the items sell. The goal being to sell them for the highest price possible while still moving products.
After learning all I did about this place I was absolutely furious. I am very much a capitalist, however, I couldn't help but feel taken advantage of. Here was a company with absolutely no idea about the disease, the lifestyle or the diet, and were making a product with the sole intent on making as much money as possible. They don't understand the financial burden of having a loaf of bread cost $8, or a box of spaghetti noodles going for about $4. They are preying upon a group of sick people.
I have made the personal decision that I will not shop there again. I have gotten to know other gluten free store/bakery owners that are in the business for the right reasons and live the lifestyle themselves. In fact my favorite bakery, New Day Gluten Free, takes a loss on certain items like their sandwich bread so that they can supply it to customers for a somewhat reasonable price. I understand not every place can make those types of sacrifices, but I would much rather give my business to a place that knows and cares about the lifestyle than someone who is just looking to make a quick buck off me. That all being said I would encourage everyone to look into the companies that supply their gluten free products and maybe we can start to make a difference in the price of our food!
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