(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A North Side bakery specializes in sweet treats for people with allergies and also creates a welcoming atmosphere.
For bakers at Defloured in Andersonville, the kitchen is like a second home.
"We're always baking cause we're always baking for wholesale, and personal orders, and for the shop, so we're always baking." said Johanna Van Dorf.
Dorf said opening a bakery had always been the goal.
But her plans for a traditional bakery changed after learning that a co-worker's family had celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that negatively affects the way people digest gluten.
"And a lightbulb kind of went off... When you're a child you want to be like everybody else. And so I thought there was a need for ooey, gooey treats that looked like everything else."
And tons of farmers markets and shared kitchens later, Defloured Gluten-Free Bakery has been considered a neighborhood staple since the storefront opened just off of Clark Street eight years ago.
Kelly Poshyvanyk, who does sales and operations at Defloured, said part of that neighborhood might come from the untraditional way they run the front of the house, which happens outside the store.
"So when they come up, we will come out to you and you will see the fully stocked table of deliciousness that you can choose from and we will take care of you outside."
That process started during COVID, but Van Dorf says it's really helped build that sense of community she values so much.
"I think something very wonderful happens outside, that people interact and they share ideas. And people have even exchanged numbers."
Timothea Canny is one of those customers, she's been a regular for about three years.
"Not only do they have great products, but it feels very neighborhoody. We like saying hi to the people who work here," Canny said.
And that's the kind of atmosphere Van Dorf says she and her team value so much.
"It's really important for us to not only have delicious treats, but treat people well and put the love in the treats because you can taste it. You can definitely taste the love in your hands."
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