What would you do if almost every time you eat a meal, you suffered extreme abdominal pain? Dave Teator had to face this problem every day. Doctors could not explain why he would feel perfectly fine one day, and be very ill the next.
Finally, Teator took matters into his own hands and decided to try a gluten-free diet last year. And guess what, it worked!
“Going to a gluten-free diet made me feel so much better,” Teator said. “The healthier markets out there, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, dedicate gluten-free aisles, but the one thing that was missing was fresh baked [bread products].”
Most of the gluten-free foods that are available in grocery stores are frozen because these foods have limited shelf lives. According to Teator, although these foods made him feel healthier, he had to sacrifice the “taste factor.”
Teator’s wife, Lynda, wanted to help her husband, so she started researching and practicing gluten-free recipes she found in some gluten-free cookbooks. Within a year, she learned how to transform her husband’s favorite meals into gluten-free alternatives. However, there were some stumbling blocks along the way.
“When I first started doing it, it was frustrating,” Lynda said. “In the beginning, a lot of stuff went into the garbage. It was really expensive.”
Luckily for Dave, and the rest of the Las Vegas, Lynda persevered. Working with her sister, who has Celiac disease, a gluten-intolerant illness, Lynda became an expert gluten-free baker.
“I’ve always liked to bake,” she said. “I’ve always loved the smell of fresh bread.”
Dave had been a construction worker for 24-years; however, the construction industry in Las Vegas started to take a down turn. When this trend started to threaten Dave’s career, the Teators decided to follow Lynda’s childhood dream and opened a bakery: a completely gluten-free bakery, that is.
In November 2024, Aces Up Gluten Free Goodies was born. It is the only 100 percent gluten-free bakery in Las Vegas. Already, the bakery has several regular customers who come to the store on a daily basis.
“Almost every day, I’ve had people stand at my counter and literally begin to shake because they haven’t had bread for almost two years,” Dave said. “I’ve had people go to tears right here eating a muffin. They’ll ask me, ‘Are you sure this is gluten-free?’ and that’s what I want. That’s what I’m going for. That’s what we worked hard to get.”
If you are headed to Vegas and want to try a delicious cookie, cake, brownie, or any other baked good, check out Aces Up. The store is located at 3370 S. Hualapai Way, Suite 145.
Have you been to Aces Up? Tell us about your experience below!
by Kelsey Murray
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