Gluten-free bakery moves to Centennial Hills

North Las Vegas' gluten-free bakery, Jadon Foods, packed its bags for a larger location in neighboring Centennial Hills and opened to the public for the first time Oct. 19.

The new location at 4343 N. Rancho Drive is no longer just a cooking space like its former home but is open for public sales from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

President Jane Lee said she picked the location near West Craig Road for its high traffic flow and proximity to the North Las Vegas border.

With the new location, the store also plans to hire 50 new employees, in phases, primarily in outside work, administration, sales and service support. Her clients include NV Energy, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Clark County School District and airport concessionaires. She also hopes to be a stepping stone for culinary students trying to make their way in the industry through internships.

The storefront and kitchen are divided by a white wall because cleanliness is of utmost importance to Lee, she said. She couldn't offer retail hours at the previous location because she didn't have a separate space and was unwilling to risk contamination of the products, she said.

"I come from a family of science majors, so it probably rubbed off on me," Lee said. "We take all these steps to make sure there's no cross contamination; it only makes sense that with food you'd only be more stringent."

Even now, she reserves the majority of the week to baking in a closed space, making it difficult for customers to learn the store's hours, she said.

She said the company is not quite ready for grocery sales, but she hopes to be there soon. She also said she hopes the new home is only a temporary manufacturing location - eventually she would like to expand to an independent facility.

Dianne Bilderback, project manager with Nevada Industry Excellence, has consulted with Jadon Foods for more than three years and said Lee is someone to keep an eye on because of her growth potential.

With 30 years of experience in the food industry's Fortune 100 companies, Bilderback said Lee's focused approach puts her ahead of her competition.

"She's meticulous; you could eat off the floor, and it's cleaner than anywhere I've worked," Bilderback said.

The attention to detail to make sure the product tastes good and doesn't just meet the dietary needs of customers is a distinguishing characteristic, she said.

"She's somebody to watch; she's going to take off like a rocket ship," Bilderback said. "I would guess that within a year or so, she'll have totally outgrown this location, too, and move into a free-standing manufacturing facility."

Lee's father was diagnosed late in life with diabetes but refused to give up sweets. That led her to work on diabetic friendly cookie recipes that led to dairy-free and gluten-free recipes.

"If I can find a way to make the food you eat taste good, will you stop cheating so often?" she asked her father.

Nearby resident Staci Davis stopped in the store because her mother learned about Jadon Foods through Facebook and suggested that she try the gluten-free products because of her dietary restriction.

Davis sampled the cookies and bought three bags before saying she plans to patronize the store again.

"Most of our customers choose our products not necessarily because of dietary issues but because they like it," Lee said.

Jadon Foods, which got off the ground in 2009, pledges never to use trans fat, artificial preservatives or artificial coloring.

"When you're satisfied, you're not going to overeat," Lee said. "It's when you can't feel satisfied that you continue to graze."

In preparation for the holidays, Jadon Foods' retail location offers customizable, themed baskets and corporate gifts, which can include products from its new partner, Colorado River Coffee Roasters.

For those with pets, the shop also offers gluten-free dog treats. The dog biscuits are the same human recipe for the cheddar and spice biscuits without the spice, so they are edible for people, too. While many orders can be placed online at jadonfoods.com, Lee said they are in the process of finding ways to package some frozen items such as sorbets, gelatos and ready-to-bake cookies. She expects them to be available online next month.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Laura Phelps at lphelps@viewnews.com or 702-477-3839.