Meet Julie Rabinovitz of Ann Arbor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Rabinovitz.

Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2006, while living in Brooklyn, NY, I found out I had Celiac Disease. Celiac is a disease in which one cannot eat gluten, a group of proteins found in wheat, barley, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, malt and triticale, and found in a lot of processed foods. Knowing I was moving back to Michigan where I was born, I started thinking about starting a gluten-free bakery. In May of 2009, I got a DBA (doing business as) and started selling gluten-free baked goods at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market. Pretty soon I started getting asked by coffee shops to sell with them. I worked out of a licensed farm kitchen from one of the farmers at the Farmers’ Market for a few years, then in May of 2015 we moved into our current location at 416 West Huron. My husband joined me to run the business 2012 and I couldn’t do it without him.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had some struggles along the way. I started selling at the Farmers’ Market before Cottage Law, where you can bake from your home. Finding a kitchen was very difficult. I found a licensed kitchen at the University and thought that was okay. However, one day when selling at the Farmers’ Market, the Department of Agriculture came to my table and told me I needed a license. I told them I was working out of a licensed kitchen. They said that was fine, but I had to have my own license to work there. They shut down my table and told me I couldn’t sell until I got one. Luckily, the person was able to come the next day and inspect that kitchen. Due to being gluten-free and fear of cross contamination, I had to bring my own bowls, pans, mixing tools, etc.

After that, I was able to rent a licensed farm kitchen from one of the farmers from the market. Then after a few years, had a fellow marketeer who was giving up her baking space. She knew we were looking for a brick and mortar and signed the lease over to us where we are now.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Before my life in Ann Arbor, I was living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan. I worked at various record labels and while at Tommy Boy Music I started taking graphic design classes. I worked for a while in the art department before the economy started getting rough for the music industry and I was let go. I was working as a free-lance artist for a place when 9/11 happened. Things became so unpredictable that I had to start waiting tables, then get a job as a photoshop retouch artist. Eventually I went on to be a project manager for some cosmetic firms and had a child before moving back to Michigan.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think I would define success as being happy in the place you’re in. I have a difficult time with that because I’ve had to deal with depression most of my life. I also know that my business has always had so much more potential than what it is, and I’ve had to come to accept where I am with it. Some days I can’t feel that way, but when our customers tell us how grateful they are for us, it helps that success feel real .

Pricing:

• We use clean and mostly organic ingredients which reflects in our prices.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tastysansgluten.com
• Instagram: tastybakerya2
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TastyBakeryA2
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAmLFn2MSDQ