RACINE — Rising up with celiac illness, Dan Gallagher at all times requested his mother: “Do you’ve my bread?” He needed to have a gluten-free possibility for bread irrespective of the place they have been consuming.
Quick-forward to 2013 in Chicago. Gallagher opens MyBread Bakery — a gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free and soy-free wholesale bakery — devoted to offering an allergen-safe array of bread for anybody who struggles with dietary restrictions.
In 2016, Gallagher moved operations to 1841 Douglas Ave., adjoining to the unique O&H Danish Bakery, after receiving a loan from Business Lending Partners, the enterprise financing division of the Racine County Financial Improvement Corp.
Then, when the O&H at that location was relocated farther north into Caledonia, MyBread was capable of purchase the constructing to broaden its operations.
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Lately, Gallagher has made a much bigger push to extend gross sales, along with his merchandise turning into extra extensively out there throughout the nation. In southeast Wisconsin alone, his merchandise might be discovered at Woodman’s, Walmart, Recent Thyme in Kenosha and O&H Danish Bakery.
Background
Gallagher’s household has a historical past of celiac illness, which is an immune response to consuming gluten — a protein present in wheat, barley and rye.
If you have celiac disease, consuming gluten triggers an immune response in your small gut, which over time can harm your small gut’s lining and forestall it from absorbing sure vitamins.
There is no such thing as a treatment for celiac illness, however following a strict gluten-free eating regimen can assist handle signs and supply intestinal therapeutic for most individuals.
Dan Gallagher is the founding father of MyBread Bakery.
Many individuals who’ve celiac illness haven’t been identified, however the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates about 2 million individuals in america have it.
Gallagher struggled with discovering a gluten-free bread that did not crumble in his palms. It typically would have a wierd texture or was simply downright disagreeable. So he took to creating his personal recipes and baking gluten-free bread along with his mother.
He took his information of gluten-free baked items and applied them into new recipes for MyBread with the assistance of his mother, spouse and different mentors from everywhere in the world.
You could find MyBread Bakery merchandise at mybreadbakery.com or at choose places of Woodman’s, Walmart, Recent Thyme and O&H Danish Bakery.
“Among the first stuff we made was simply horrible, proper?” Gallagher joked. “And then you definately get higher, and make it higher and higher.”
Rise of extra choices
In a single occasion whereas at a commerce present, Gallagher bought to see first-hand the influence having a great-tasting, allergen-safe bread could make. Dad and mom would come to the MyBread sales space and find out about how the baked items are secure for teenagers with dietary restrictions.
“They might cry. They’d say, ‘We have not had bread like this,’ ” Gallagher stated.
He recalled occasions the place he wasn’t capable of take pleasure in sure meals or have a good time in the identical manner his pals did every so often when there was no gluten-free possibility out there. His purpose is to at all times present that possibility.
“Consuming is in all of us … lacking out on that (gathering expertise) actually stunk,” Gallagher stated. “The purpose is, for those who and I have been going to exit to eat or have this (bread) at my home, you’d take pleasure in it too.”
MyBread workers combine dough on Wednesday.
Development in Racine
MyBread has six workers who could make as much as 8,000 items of flatbread in a day. Gallagher stated he has an curiosity in hiring extra individuals when the suitable time comes; he’s working to ascertain extra partnerships with retailers.
In the course of the pandemic, the corporate misplaced a portion of enterprise with eating places which needed to shut down both briefly or completely. However on-line gross sales skyrocketed as a consequence of extra individuals staying dwelling and needing to make gluten-free meals.
“The problem there was considering, ‘Alright, what’s modified?’ ” Gallagher stated. “Our on-line gross sales have been a savior.”
MyBread Bakery founder Dan Gallagher unloads a batch of freshly baked flatbread on Wednesday.
Provide chain shortages have been an surprising perk for MyBread as effectively. When extra widespread, widespread gluten-free bread choices have been out of inventory, clients got an opportunity to check out different corporations.
“I feel that could possibly be good for small corporations,” he stated.
Gallagher stated his objectives for MyBread embody sometime having a person retail house (the merchandise can solely be discovered at different shops) and welcoming different budding bakers to make the most of his house at Douglas Avenue. He wished to thank RCEDC, Racine County and the Metropolis of Racine for welcoming his firm to the world.
