KAPA‘A — Not much gets in the way of Marie Cassel’s passion for food, not even a break-in three days after her business opened two years ago or being diagnosed with a life-altering disease. Cassel, owner of Sweet Marie’s Hawaii
KAPA‘A — Not much gets in the way of Marie Cassel’s passion for food, not even a break-in three days after her business opened two years ago or being diagnosed with a life-altering disease.
Cassel, owner of Sweet Marie’s Hawaii — a gluten-free bakery in Kapa‘a — celebrated her business’ two-year anniversary last week and took a few moments from her busy schedule Wednesday morning to talk about her entrepreneurial accomplishments.
“You overcome the hurdles,” she said between serving customers homemade baked goods and coffee.
Cassel overcame one of those obstacles after discovering she had acquired an autoimmune disorder called Celiac disease — an intolerance to gluten — which interferes with proper digestion and damages the small intestine.
She was sick for many years before understanding why. It wasn’t until a trip to Asia that she realized it was her gluten-rich American diet that was causing her illness.
Cassel admits to momentarily losing her desire to cook while she was sick, though it wasn’t long before she felt “back on track” again and got busy creating gluten-free products.
“When I figured out what it was, then it all came back, and I’m fully in my element now,” she said. “It was just a matter of switching gears and re-educating myself on what I needed to do to make it work. And so, here we have Sweet Marie’s.”
Millions of Americans suffer from the same ailment as Cassel, and gluten — a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oat and other processed grains — lurks in a majority of the nation’s food.
Gluten is found in everything from bread, pasta, ice cream and ketchup, but comes no where near the brownies, macaroons, muffins and cakes Cassel bakes at her cozy operation on the Eastside.
“People think it’s a trend, but it’s such a necessity,” she said. “It’s not a niche market, it’s a necessity.”
A recent study conducted by the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore, found that one in 133 people in the U.S. reportedly suffer from the affliction.
While the Celiac Sprue Association concludes that over 2 million Americans may have the disease without being aware of it, the rise of acknowledgment in America has recently spurred an interest in foods made without the protein, making it a seemingly profitable business.
According to a Dec. article in Newsweek, Americans are presently spending about $2 billion each year on gluten-free products.
“I’m the only gluten-free bakery in the state,” Cassel said. “People seek me out to find the product. I have visitors that actually come to Kaua‘i to eat and people who fly from O‘ahu to pick up bakery items to take back.”
Michelle and Rob Hayes, two visitors from Rocklin, Calif., purposely sought out Sweet Marie’s Wednesday morning after reading about the bakery in a magazine.
“There are really no good alternatives for wheat and gluten-free products where we live,” Michelle Hayes said.
Even though the Hayes came during a busy hour at Sweet Marie’s, Cassel concedes that customers are not always lining up out the door as they were on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, other avenues, such as online sales or custom orders always help boost business.
“With the way the economy is right now, I’m doing a lot of different things to keep afloat,” she said. “Something is always coming in to keep the business going.”
Cassel also claims she runs a “pretty tight ship” and keeps expenses to a minimum.
“Keeping small is helpful,” she said. “I don’t want to grow fast and I’ve been advised to take small steps and go slow. What’s the rush?”
True, Cassel has recently received offers to franchise her business in parts of the U.S., as well as Canada, though she hesitates on making the leap right away.
“I had four requests in one week,” she said.
Her advise to those considering starting a new business?
“Do your research.”
Right now is probably not the most ideal time to open your doors anyway, she added.
“Wait awhile and see what the economy does,” she said. “We still have a lot of businesses closing.”
Coconuts, Blossoming Lotus and Polynesia Cafe are three examples of restaurants that closed their doors over the past year in Kapa‘a alone.
“I lost accounts because businesses are closing,” Cassel said, adding that it can make profits harder to come by.
Nevertheless, despite that nail-biting fact, she is not worried at all about what the future holds for her particular enterprise.
“A lot of people seek me out because they have certain dietary needs,” she said. “However, I also have people that don’t have the dietary needs, but come because they like the product because you can’t tell that it’s a gluten-free product … they just like it.”
Cassel is also currently working on a cookbook while her business continues to grow and her passion fails to wane.
“I get excited about coming into work. I love what I’m doing; it comes from the heart.”
For more information, visit www.sweetmarieshawaii.com or call 823-0227.
