Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandra Luaces-Riera.
Alejandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I went to zookeeping college and found out I had a heart condition and couldn’t work outdoors, so I taught myself how to be a designer/software developer. I was a UX Engineer for 7 years, but always had a strong interest in food. I’d always loved cooking and started hosting underground suppers in Chicago and in Atlanta, but was always a very weak baker, and was very doubtful I’d be able to turn it into a career.
After watching the Great British Bake Off, I was very inspired to change that. I started a very focused practice, but all the recipes I followed used conventional wheat flours. I have a gluten intolerance, so I couldn’t try anything I made.
That’s when I decided to focus on making gluten-free baked goods the very best that I could, so I’d be able to eat what I made, and my other gluten-free friends could try it too! I started getting orders from coworkers, and then non-coworkers. And then I started getting so many orders, I’d wake up at 6 am to bake, then go into work, and then come right back home and keep baking until midnight.
I finally took the plunge and quit after working at MailChimp for 2.5 years to do HYGF full-time.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The main struggle is like.. wow, this is extremely physical work! In software, you’re just sitting at a computer. Like, 7-10 hours a day, every day. When I first left MailChimp, I worked at Revolution Donuts as a way to make friends. My first day, I worked a 4am-noon shift, and I was at the chiropractor at 5 pm. The physical shift has been enormous!
Most people don’t realize I’m just baking out of my home, and that it’s just me. It’s hard cranking out hundreds of donuts, cinnamon rolls, and several cakes every weekend–AND taking the images, doing the post-processing, answering various inquiries, scheduling orders, doing the financials, and everything else running a small business entails. It’s a struggle but the response has been so massive and so positive, it makes it all worth it.
Other struggles have been sexism I’ve faced, mostly in looking for a retail space. I was interested in a couple of places, and either my emails were ignored for months or I was quoted a much higher price than other people. I had to start making my boyfriend do initial calls and emails to set up showings because it was so bad. Once people realized I was behind HYGF and not him, they just refused to work with us. There are still “for rent” signs on those spaces.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Hell Yeah Gluten Free – what should we know?
HYGF is a boutique bakery in Atlanta that just so happens to be 100% gluten-free. I also cater to other dietary restrictions–for instance, all the donuts are dairy and nut free as well, and I’m working on “veganizing” cinnamon rolls.
I make fashion-forward baked goods in bold, unexpected flavors that aren’t typically found in your average bakery–things like beetroot-ginger donuts and golden milk cinnamon rolls, milk tea banana pretzel tarts, to peach-hyssop cakes. I offer something I’ve been calling MYSTERY BOXES–nine assorted flavor donuts. If you’re curious, I’ll tell you the flavors; otherwise, I receive all kinds of messages after the fact where people try to guess what they’ve just eaten. It’s so fun and inspires this really authentic interaction that I live for. Otherwise, cakes and tarts are made to order, I draw inspiration from your story to craft something 100% unique to you. I am so thankful my customers give me full trust and creative freedom to execute something just for them.
The menu changes to reflect the season and adapt to the bounty our lovely Georgia farmers provide at the market–right now I’m very focused on peaches. The other day, I made a peach flan tart in a pecan flour crust. The peaches I get from Pearson farms, and the pecan flour I get from Oliver Farms. Both of them grow, harvest, and process everything just 1-2 hours away. Can’t get any fresher than that.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My partner deserves the most credit. He holds a full-time job and still finds time to wash the dishes every night.
Without his encouragement, I’m not sure I would’ve ever left my job to do this full-time. He calls when property managers won’t talk to me, he helps me with the wording of my emails, and he takes pictures for me when I have my hands full (literally, with cake!).
I’ve also had tons of support from the community–from connecting me with other helpful folks to sending business my way to just sending me encouraging messages through Instagram–I feel I’ve built a little family of people who really care about my success. It’s overwhelming.
Pricing:
- Cupcakes $24/half dozen, $48/dozen
- Cakes start at $60 (feeds 8-12)
- Mystery donut box $30
- Cinnamon roll tray $25 (6-8 rolls)
- Seasonal tart $42
Contact Info:
- Website: hygf.co
- Email: alejandra@hygf.co
- Instagram: @hellyeahglutenfree
- Facebook: /hellyeahglutenfree
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
