October 8, 2024 – Near the intersection of Herndon and Clovis Avenues, right in between Eureka! and Judy’s Donuts, a new gluten-free bakery has opened its’ doors to Clovis residents.
The Bakery by Indulge Right Foods, a formerly one-location gluten-free bakery in Fresno, has decided to open up a second shop for their beloved Clovis customers.
Varouj Kachichian, a gluten-free chef and the owner of the bakery, shared how the vision began with him.
Kachichian was diagnosed with a gluten allergy as a teenager and had many experiences of not being able to enjoy desserts such as sourdough bread, croissants, or other delectable goods because of the allergy.
Already having a passion for baking and cooking, he wanted to find good, enjoyable food that wouldn’t be harmful to him or others with gluten allergies and set his sights on finding alternative ways of making his favorite foods.
14 years later, The Bakery is a place where he and others can find delicious gluten-free desserts, as well as coffee and various other foods depending on the week.
“I did not really expect such a big community in the Valley, but we’re huge. We’ve got a huge community here…We want to provide basically a safe haven for the community,” Kachichian explained after mentioning The Bakery is the only 100% gluten-free bakery in the Central Valley.
Although sourcing from only gluten-free products may present a challenge for many bakers and cooks, The Bakery sustains a wide variety of desserts for its’ customers.
Within the chic environment a customer finds walking into the store, they can find just a little bit of everything, from pizzas to sourdough bread to cream puffs and cinnamon rolls.
Kachichian explained how he desires to offer the community a place in which individuals with gluten allergies don’t have to make the decision of ordering something not knowing if it’s gluten-free or not.
He stated, “At least once a week we get someone who’s like almost in tears because now they can have whatever they want, be it adults or children.”
The Bakery looks forward to the coming months as they anticipate the holiday season and Kachichian explores various ideas for holiday-themed products for the bakery.
They hope to continue providing a “safe haven” for people with gluten allergies in the Central Valley and look forward to serving the Clovis community.