Discover how Longmont’s GoodLove Foods carved out its niche in the competitive gluten-free market with unique products and innovative strategies.
Exploring the Unique Approach and Success Strategies of a Local Gluten-Free Brand
Gluten-free foods have become increasingly popular, especially for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. These individuals experience adverse reactions to gluten, a type of wheat protein, making it essential for them to find safe and delicious alternatives. However, many gluten-free products on the market may not meet their expectations in terms of taste and texture. This gap in quality inspired Chennelle Diong and her husband, Justin Beaver, both of whom have celiac disease, to create GoodLove Foods, a company dedicated to producing gluten-free comfort foods.
Based in Longmont, GoodLove Foods offers a range of frozen gluten-free products, including buttermilk biscuits and cinnamon rolls, designed for easy preparation at home. The company’s commitment to quality has resonated with customers, leading to significant growth in their business. A recent appearance on the TV show Shark Tank resulted in a $150,000 investment deal, further propelling their mission to provide satisfying gluten-free options for those who need them.
Crafting a Delicious Escape: The Journey of GoodLove Foods in the Gluten-Free Revolution
From kunc and the MPR Network this is in the Noco I’m Ain oul gluten-free foods are everywhere nowadays they’re designed for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance in other words people who get sick if they eat gluten which is a kind of wheat protein but our guest today thinks many.
Of those products miss the mark so she did something about it Chanel dang and her husband both of whom have celiac disease founded good love Foods the company which is based in Longmont makes gluten-free comfort food which customers buy Frozen and bake at home things like Buttermilk Biscuits or cinnamon rolls we never claimed to be a Wess product we.
Really didn’t want to be really it’s like what we want to see in the store and Chanel says business at good love Foods is taking off a recent appearance on the TV show Shark Tank landed the company a $150,000 investment deal so we wanted to talk to Chanel about why she started the company and where the idea came.
From I grew up baking and I grew up with my Filipino Dad making Asian food and my mom baking and so I used that to ultimately help me along the way when it comes to our products but we just want to share food with other people food is is comfort food helps you feel relatable to to your family to your friends to everyone around you and if you can’t.
Have something if you have to be safe you know it can feel really disheartening it can feel alienating in a way and you’re talking about when people who have Celiac or gluten intolerance not being able to enjoy the same kind of foods that other people are in the moment correct that’s one aspect of it but I think there’s a stigma out.
There that gluten-free is less than and us who have to eat gluten-free we’re like you know what we’re going to make a product where I don’t care if you’re gluten-free or not you’re going to taste it and you’re going to love it unlike in years past when there weren’t a lot of gluten-free products on the market now those sections in the grocery store are.
A lot bigger what did you and your husband feel was missing back then that made you want to start your own company going to the grocery store is like date night for us we love cooking at home so we spend a lot of time in the grocery store and it was exciting at first to see all these new brands popping up to see the gluten-free labels on these.
Products but you still have to be what we also like to call forensic nutrition label readers because you flip it over you’re like okay it’s gluten-free does it hit all the other marks is it created in a safe space is it certified um does it have other allergens that we need to be aware of and so many of those products we just didn’t feel comfortable.
Eating so we wanted to reach a whole new population of people and give them that peace of mind and be fun with it and so Brands were a little b or they just didn’t have products that tasted good so there was a lot of things that had to be changed and we tried to incorporate all of those things into our packaging or branding and our.
Products you launched in 2021 and your first product was Buttermilk Biscuits definitely a fave where did you first sell them and what do you remember about the response I grew up baking biscuits just because it was like the first thing that I was obsessed with as a kid but I didn’t know that would come back into like my personal life when I met Justin.
My husband um who’s from Tennessee and they know southern biscuits like that is the Southern biscuit Capital sure and so I made it my mission to really just find that amazing buttermilk biscuit what was the secret behind that and then we tested it locally I basically started an Instagram page all these Celiac influencers glutenfree influencers.
Locally reached out and they would be like hey I want to try your product and I great give me $5 for a delivery fee and I’m going to drop it right at your front door and so we literally drove around the denro metro area dropping off Frozen biscuits in front of doors just to get you know those First Reactions and feedback and it was amazing the only.
Thing we asked for was to give us feedback but people were tagging us posting like oh my gosh I can’t can’t believe I’ve had a biscuit like I I didn’t think I would ever be able to eat a biscuit again in my life and my husband who’s not even celc tried it and they were the best biscuits he had and we’re like okay we’re on to.
Something well you’ve had quite a journey with your company in the few years it’s been going you were living in Littleton and needed to work in a facility that was gluten-free meaning products with gluten in them had never been processed there you finally found one in Longmont so you sold your condo and moved.
To Longmont what has it been like to commit your whole life to this company Wow since starting good love we’ve made some really big decisions and it’s been high risk from the beginning but we believe in what we’re doing so deeply that selling AR condo and moving to longma was just like checking something off of a list emotionally it’s.
Been like there’s there’s no other personality I have other than good love and I think maybe that is like the mark of an entrepreneur especially in in the startup phase it’s like you’re so in it all the time that you can’t really see out of it it’s risky but I I would do it again well I want to hear about your recent.
Experience on Shark Tank sharks let’s spill the tea on gluten-free options still get a bad rrap because honestly they’re just lacking that special something well allow me to be your gluten-free Guru because I have cracked the code I know that you have pitched to funders elsewhere how did it feel to.
Land a deal oh my gosh it was it was the best feeling everything happens so fast and it’s a very intense stage because you’re being filmed and there’s these very powerful you know quote unquote sharks in front of you and everyone’s throwing questions or comments at you but we did get a deal I was just I was elated afterwards I was I felt so.
Positive about it we think that this was the best outcome that could have happened for us food and Retail can be very difficult businesses what is your advice Chanel to someone who thinks they have a great food product and want to build it into a business I would say you know truly do your research we did spend a lot of time um doing our own market.
Research and testing other products and seeing what was truly missing in that way but also test your product I don’t think we would have really went ahead with the mug biscuits unless we tested it among our local consumers first because sure you’re not going to know if people are going to love it you’re not going to know if it’s a good price point.
If they’re going to continue to buy it or not and so feedback is key from the beginning it’s scary for some people to be like can you try this and tell me if you like it or not Y and I have to say that’s the scariest part but you know what that’s why we’re here it’s CU we we asked those hard questions and some things stuck and some things didn’t but.
Ultimately it’s all about what your customers want to buy and do you have that product Chanel dang co-founded good love Foods in Longmont which makes frozen packaged Comfort foods for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance Chanelle says she and her husband hope the Shark Tank money will.
Help good love expand its distribution and put the company’s products into more grocery stores we’ll post a link to their Shark Tank appearance in our show notes and at kunc.org by the way we publish all of our interviews as podcasts so if you missed our recent conversation about a giant new Reservoir project in Northern Colorado that’s.
Gotten the green light after years of delay or why fresh snow can lead to the worst sunburns ever you can hear all of our interviews at kunc.org or wherever you get podcasts and be sure to follow the show on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode that’s it today for in the Noco I’m Ain.
Oul thanks so much for listening
