Eat with Dominique

Why Gluten-Free Shouldn’t Taste Gluten-Free

• Dom • Season 1 • Episode 6

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If you’ve ever felt disappointed by gluten-free food — or left out at the table because you couldn’t eat what everyone else was having — this episode is for you.

In this episode of Eat with Dominique, I’m joined by Julie Moreno, founder of Jewel’s Bakery & Café, a gluten-free restaurant in Phoenix known for food that challenges everything you thought you knew about gluten-free.

Julie shares how her daughter’s health journey inspired her to open a completely gluten-free restaurant, why she refuses to serve anything that tastes gluten-free, and what most restaurants still get wrong when it comes to gluten-free dining.

We also talk about the emotional side of food — feeling included, ordering without stress, and being able to fully participate in moments that revolve around eating.

🌵If you’re in the Phoenix area, you can get 20% off at Jewel’s Bakery & Café now through the end of April — just mention Eat with Dominique when you go in. Limited to an entree for dine-in. One per table.

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Now, without further ado — grab a seat, and let’s Eat with Dominique.

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💌 If you’re navigating gluten-free or gut-friendly living, the Eat with Dominique newsletter is where everything connects — early access to full recipes, practical gut-health tips, community polls, and exclusive brand codes.
Join here: www.EatWithDominique.com
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This podcast is all about actionable tips, trustworthy brands, and real strategies to make gluten-free, gut-friendly living easier, tastier, and pain-free.

So whether it’s life or food — make it Good To You, Good For You, and Good With You™.

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✨ Follow Eat with Dominique for more conversations on gluten-free living, gut health, and the foods we love.

SPEAKER_03

Whenever I make something new, I'm like, does this taste gluten-free? If it does, it's not going in my restaurant.

SPEAKER_00

Hi everyone, I'm Dominique and welcome to Eat with Dominique, the podcast for women with gluten sensitivities, IBS, and other gut challenges who want to eat confidently and pain-free. You can usually tell when something is gluten-free, and not in a good way, which is why today I'm really excited to chat with Julie Moreno, the founder of Jules Bakery and Cafe, a gluten-free restaurant in Phoenix known for such delicious eats that even my non-gluten-free relatives couldn't tell they were gluten-free. Julie shares how her daughter's health struggles inspired her gluten-free restaurant journey, why she refuses to serve anything that tastes gluten-free, and how she created an amazingly inclusive place where everyone can enjoy great food that doesn't taste like a substitute. And if you're local, I'm super excited because the Eat with Dominique community gets 20% off. So be sure to listen all the way through to find out how.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_03

Like you skip days and then you're you're rotating all the different foods.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Because if you go and eat yogurt every day, you're not going to be able to eat yogurt anymore. So that was what we we worked on to clear up her allergies, and really it did wonders.

SPEAKER_01

Wow.

SPEAKER_03

That's really she can she can eat all those now.

SPEAKER_00

So wow. Well, that's great. That's very good. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so I really love the name jewels to begin with. I know that you've talked about like wanting there to be a jewel restaurant for people, no matter if they have food allergies or not. I know it also ties into your own nickname. Can you tell us more about the story behind the name?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, well, I got called jewels a lot, you know, growing up. So that was my what my friends basically would call me. Um and then I once I we came up with the flower blend, and I'm like, geez, everybody loves this. I I the first people to try it really, we had a birthday party for my brother-in-law, and he was like, Oh my god, he loved red velvet, so obviously gotta make red velvet. So I made red velvet cupcakes, and he just was like, This is the best red velvet that I've ever ever had. And just everybody was like, Are you kidding me? Like, this is glittery. Um, so with that, I started with cupcakes, and then the restaurant that the Triss Cafe, they buy they would buy my cupcakes from my house. I picked up a gas station and they would buy huge amounts. They were in Scottsdale, and then I'm like, let's try farmers markets. So I would just bring a ton of cupcakes to farmers markets, and then it just kind of thought, well, this like they're like little jewels, you make them really pretty, and then everybody deserves a jewel. That was my motto, and I had it on shirts. Everyone deserves a jewel, and it was a it was a cupcake with a diamond head on it.

SPEAKER_01

That's cute.

SPEAKER_03

So it just kind of started. It was called Jewel's Cupcake Shop.

SPEAKER_00

I feel like red velvet's hard to do regular or gluten-free. So I'm very impressed that you were. That's how you know you have something good.

SPEAKER_03

2011, right? I just started there, there was a a contest and it was a fundraiser. It was called Cupcake Lovin'. And they had it at the Valley Ho in uh in Scottsdale. And I was like, and everybody says mine are the best. Um I'm I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna, you know, enter it. They it was the first year that they allowed home bakers to do it. Like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna do that. So I showed up by myself because there was something going on that in all my family was attending something. Right. And I was like, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna go alone. So I just brought these silver trays, you know, four big ones with full of cupcakes, and walked in there with signs for them, you know, and that's about it. Because what if right, right, and then the tables all around, like decked out. They got crystals, they got you know, tears and chandeliers, and wow, I was like, oh my god, like look, I I just stand out like the source thumb, like just and I started to cry, like I was trying to hold it back, and I'm like, I'm just gonna leave, like nobody's here with me. And I was like, I can still feel that moment, like, but I'm so glad that I stayed because um everybody kept coming, and then they'd bring their friends, and then they'd bring their friends over, and then they're like, Oh my gosh, and then they named um started naming the you know, the three people, and then the the whoever wins the the grand prize, or you know, and uh they called my name. I'm not like that's crazy. I won my one best classic cupcake, and that that was that was my apple pie cupcake. Um it was apple pie, apple pie cake, like apples and cinnamon, and then it had um cream cheese, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, but I would fill it with apple pie filling, like a pie, and then I then I put the lattices on the top with frosting. Um so that one um the best classic cupcake, and then they they named two other people prizes, and they said, and the and the grand prize winner is me again.

SPEAKER_00

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03

Literally, like I was like, What are you just kidding me right now? Um, I think it was Robin Sewell that gave me the prize, and you know, all of the hotels, no other home bakers. I was the only one. All the hotels were in there, all the the bakers from like pastry chefs in Europe, right? Um Tammy Co. And then I won, you know, and I was like, oh, flabbergasted like crazy. And then like Tammy Co. was like, you know, that's that's what I aspired to be paste, you know, pastry wise or whatever. But and then uh then Arizona had a birthday, whenever that was, um a hundredth birthday, and so I they asked me to go and do um cupcakes for it.

SPEAKER_00

That's huge.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, down at the at like I don't know where it was downtown in that little park. But um guess who's next to me? Tammy Koe.

SPEAKER_00

That's crazy, that's so cool. It must be so surreal, though. Like to have, like you're saying, like you're making them at home, you're doing it, obviously you're doing it for community and they're liking it, but then to take it not only to like a competition, but one with like these, like we said, huge pastry chefs, people with all these resources behind them, and to do so well to win, and and then to be like chosen to be right next to them, like just a short while after, that's really incredible.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, there were 40 other pastry chefs. It was a really big event. Yeah. Um, yeah, that was really cool. And so then I started at the farmers markets. I did some in Scottsdale, but then I ended up doing at the Central Farmers Markets, the Uptown. Um, and oh my gosh, I had so much business. I had to hire two people to come and work in my house. Wow, I had speed racks in my kitchen. I I already had a double convection oven because when I built my kitchen, I was like, this is how my kitchen has to be. So I had a I had you know a sweet kitchen that um luckily, but like right behind here, I had a giant refrigerator and a giant, giant freezer. Wow, and then in my laundry room, I had another freezer because I would just have so much product to be making. Um, and then the farmer's market told me that I was the largest um grossing vendor at the market at that time.

SPEAKER_01

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_03

Are you serious? That's crazy. So yeah, I get it got too big for my house. So then um, you know, my dad was like, he saw the vision. He's like, wow, okay, I'm gonna help you, you know, make this make this happen. So we started looking for our location where we are now for 13 years.

SPEAKER_00

That's amazing. That's so amazing. Um, would you say like that winning that competition, was that kind of what gave you the confidence? Because you've never run a restaurant before. Like, was that kind of what gave you the confidence though to go from like home kitchen, the farmer's market to this brick and mortar cafe?

SPEAKER_03

I think everything just leading up to that, just the response from everybody and in you know, having my my things in places where you know where people go and um people kept showing up at my house too. Like they were always picking up, you know, my neighbors are like, um, I think that Murano's are drug dealers now. Like someone goes through every 10 minutes. They come with money in their hands, like so funny.

SPEAKER_01

But funny, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I think I think just all of that like made my brain so twisted to be able to think, oh, you should just open up a restaurant blindly because right, right. That that was a little crazy to do, but yeah, definitely I think it's paying off now.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, it's wonderful. And I mean, I think sometimes though having like not being a little bit naive about it is actually what helps you accomplish like the way you have, because like if you'd known everything, you might not have done it, right? Like if you've known every single thing, but now you have to successful. Yeah, right.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And now it's like, oh, like okay, you did it. And like you said, like it's obviously having this big impact on people. Um, and I think the thing to me that's really interesting, and we talked about it a bit before, is like it's really always been more than a cafe and a bakery, like probably also because of how it started. Um, I guess what for you was that core mission or ethos that you've been committed to since the beginning?

SPEAKER_03

I I just wanted a place to for anybody to go and just be able to order and bring everybody with you. And like food is such like part of the community. And the people who can't just go sit down at a restaurant and and enjoy everyone else's company because they can't eat it, or you know, and or they have to feel embarrassed like they're struggling with the weight, or like, oh, can you know, or or not want to say it out loud. And I and I experienced that with Sophia because we would go to restaurants and she'd be like, don't say anything, mom. And I'm like, I'm not gonna just not. And she would just, you know, she was really young, so like embarrassing to be pointed out at the table. And and I just wanted everybody to have that comfort, comfort food. Like I'm our whole family just grew up around food, and um, and I feel like I feel like that's really important part of society, and that I I think most people would agree.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I feel like food is like you're saying, like, it is that culture, it is that community, and to like I feel like to go someplace for the first time and be able to have everything on a menu, really. It just was, it is, and it was so incredible because it's like you don't have to think about like, oh, like I can't have this, but I can't have that, or like how you like you said, how do I tell the person, the waiter or whatever that I can't have it? You literally don't have to think about it at all, which is just amazing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and and I mean, people come in and and they'll cry at the table. It happens all the time. Um and that just shows you that you know how important that is to people.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah, I remember when I first looked at the menu online, I had to like reread it because I was like, wait, everything's gluten-free on here. I was like, that's crazy. Like it just really Yeah, everyone says that.

SPEAKER_03

They'll come up to the register and you hear it all day long. If I'm in my office, I hear this. Um, so is everything gluten-free? And then they say, Yeah, everything, 100%. And then they go, Well, is this gluten-free too? And then they start painting it, pointing at the poison pastries, and they'll they'll do it, you know, three, four times. Like, just are you sure about this thing too? And that, and they're like, Trust me. Right, right. Or they'll get out the menu and be like, dude, here it says what on the menu for years because I didn't want people to feel weird, I didn't want them to have to, you know, be called out on anything. So I just made it like a regular restaurant, and if you you asked, we would tell you the whole menu is gluten-free. But lately I started, you know, the past four years, I put it on the menu um just good for peace of mind for people, but they still ask. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, definitely. I think we also I feel like the real mark too of like how great of a job you guys do making things gluten-free feel normal for people is whenever I brought people who are not gluten-free. And then like it's after the fact, they're like, wait, was this gluten-free? And I'm like, Yeah, like it is, like you can have good stuff and that tastes great, and it can still, you know, be something everyone can have. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, I I had a customer that's like, I've been coming here for a year. And I just today found it. That's so funny.

SPEAKER_00

It is. That's hilarious. Um, so I know that you've talked before about growing up going to your grandfather's restaurant. I guess what about that experience maybe did you want to replicate with jewels?

SPEAKER_03

Ugh, every time we travel to this little tiny town, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it's my parents grew up, or my mom. Um, yeah, my mom grew up, not my dad. Um, yeah, it just I loved going in the restaurant and I love just New Mexican food and you know that that flair. And I didn't want to do a whole Mexican restaurant, I just wanted little bits of, you know, kind of my favorite things. You would definitely have to have burritos and uh chorizo, and um, so it's it's got a little bit of a new Mexican flair, but just homestyle cooking was was the big thing too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And you grew up cooking, right? Like so you had experience, you had experiences baking and cooking before jewels and everything, right?

SPEAKER_03

Oh yeah. When I started wanting to bake when I was really young, um my mom was always able to, you know, cook and bake anything too. And uh so I just started dabbling in doing it, and then I started getting like my own kids' book cookbooks, and I would make dinners. I had a bunch of different dinners that I would rotate making. I must have been like 12 or something, you know. And I just doing the whole dinner for the family.

SPEAKER_04

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03

And um I would always bake out of like mixes because I didn't know cake mixes, cookie mixes. I was like, oh, that's good. But then, you know, as I evolve, I'm like, you don't want to buy all the ingredients, but it takes four. Like, um, so then I just started, you know, doing everything from scratch. And then I wanted to learn like how to do every kind of pastry. I would watch the videos and you know, how do you laminate, how do you make croissants, how do you make um shoe pastry? And uh, I just I just did that in my spare time, wanting to know how to how to do everything that I saw and I wanted all my feet.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, I feel like that's always the best when we're like, I feel like eating this, so I'm gonna figure out how to make it because I just feel like eating it. And when you launch. Jules in 2011 as the Jules Cupcake Shop, what was that gluten-free dining experience like? And what about it made you say, like, okay, like this is enough. I need to make my own restaurant or bake my own things.

SPEAKER_03

Um, to just like getting to the savory side to of the restaurant, you mean?

SPEAKER_00

Um, I guess in terms of when you just decided to even launch a business to begin with, what about the landscape of gluten-free eating was like, I need to make this into a business because what's happening is not working.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, there was one restaurant that offered gluten-free things, and then um this other pizza place was like, oh, we're we're coming out with gluten-free crust too. We make it in-house. And I took so I took Sophia to eat there, and they bring out this pizza and it has all this black crust on the bottom, like really big black crust. And I was like, What is this on the bottom? Like, it's from our pizza oven, you know. We have a we have a wood fire pizza oven. And I was like, Well, now you put gluten on the pizza, and he goes, It's okay, because the oven is so hot that it burns it off. And I was like, Yeah. And she was like so embarrassed, she's like, mom, just stop it. Like, I'm eating it anyway. And I'm like, oh my gosh, like I can imagine like just how hard it is for kids, and they want to fit in, and they don't want to, they don't want to feel that. And um that, you know, just being called out or different, or yeah. So that was like the main reason. We just need a safe space where everyone can come and dine and not have all this anxiety or have to, you know, be embarrassed.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

That was pretty much my main motivator. Otherwise, other than there was not a dedicated space space like mine at all. The only well, like they said, the one that that closed in Scottsdale, um, but it was very healthy, raw eating. It was not where you're gonna go take your kids and your family mostly, I would say. And then there was just a bakery that had a cafet or something. There's just not not anything that I my family would want to eat.

SPEAKER_00

Is that why you kind of branch into like the savory side of things as well?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I always loved cooking, so I was like, why would I get a whole space and not feed people, you know, not create that whole safe space where they can come and get all their their needs, sweet and savory.

SPEAKER_00

Um, so that's pretty much you have a favorite between baking and cooking. No, no, okay. Well that's good. I mean, you're Jules is great at bulls, so I guess that works that you don't have a favorite.

SPEAKER_03

I'm like all of it, and people are like, Oh, oh no, I don't do I don't do the sweet side. I'm like, what? If you're in the kitchen and you have a passion for cooking, why would you not have a passion for baking too? I don't like I don't understand. They just go ahead and have to me. That's funny. Not everybody.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Um, 15 years ago, did you ever imagine that you would have started a restaurant and when you did take that leap of faith, what did that feel like?

SPEAKER_03

I I could not ever have imagined, and my kids will say that too. Like, well, I didn't do I was a teacher, I taught first grade. And uh, you know, from different circumstances, I took time off for that, and I just didn't I didn't want to go back. And then her allergy happened, and I would have never even thought in a million years that I would be where I'm at today, especially how how big I think this should be, you know, to help everybody. Um and taking that leap was very, very scary, and um gosh, just going in blindly, I felt, you know, I was at really at a big disadvantage. But it, I mean, it took me a good six years to finally start grasping, like, and and and then it just started taking off like like I was gonna say about out of hell, but pretty much, pretty much so, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Um yeah, yeah, that's amazing. Um, yeah, that's incredible. I I know early on your family was kind of your first group of taste testers, and not everyone wanted gluten-free at the time when they weren't the biggest fans. I guess what was that trial and error process like with them?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, that was throwing away a lot of food, but I it really didn't take me too long um to get down the flower blend. Um pretty much did everything that I wanted it to and wasn't gritty and it stayed moist, and um some people will be like, I tried I've spent years on this. I'm like, I'm sorry. It took me like a week. Yeah. So I mean, yeah, like I said, once I get the flower blend down, then um I was I was pretty much able to make a whole bunch of stuff. So, but that was pretty pretty much the easy part. But once you got allergic to more and more stuff, then I'm trying to make things vegan. I'm trying to, you know, I'm trying all the other different allergies, and how can I perfect those? And that's really what takes the most time, I think. Um trying to go around that, you know, and then there was a time where I was trying to feed everybody gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy free. And uh it was not, it was not an easy time.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I can imagine.

SPEAKER_03

But that definitely helps me like think now, like people so many people need those things. So I always try to have a bit of everything available. Okay, if you if you're vegan, you can have this. If you're dairy-free, you know, we have a ton of options, and then we're we're working on, you know, always trying to take out whatever allergen we can without affecting the taste. If it tastes gluten-free, then I don't want it in my restaurant, basically. That's that's my my thinking up here all the time. Right. That's a good thing to lead with. Whenever I make something new, I'm like, does this taste gluten-free? If it does, it's not. It's not going in my restaurant.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah. It should be gluten-free, it should not taste gluten-free. That's a really good, that's a good motto to live by. Um, and that kind of actually leads me to my next question because, like you said, like in addition to gluten-free, I know you guys um accommodate other like dietary needs. I guess why was that so important to you? And also what what other dietary restrictions do you guys um accommodate?

SPEAKER_03

Well, I mean, going with not feeling excluded at a restaurant, like once you're you're hit with all of these allergies, that's that's even more like extreme in anxiety. And we try really hard to get everything right, and it's really hard when they have like 10 allergies, and you're just like, oh my God, everything has that in it. So, you know, if we have the time, well, you know, we'd we we like to sit down with somebody like when we're not too busy and just kind of go over it. And um, I want them when they show up to not be able to to not be having that anxiety, you know, kind of ahead of time they plan. Um, but it is important to try to include everybody. That was why I made it to include the gluten-free community, but then in finding out, like, well, the next greatest one is dairy, and then the next greatest one is soy. So, how do we get those products out and also try to keep it affordable? Because sometimes we can't always change it, you know. We go through so much um sauces. Like, I I can't I can't buy one that's free of everything because I I have to buy so much like mayonnaise or whatever the beginning component is. Um, because we go through so, so much. And if we had to make everything in-house, oh my gosh, you're you would be coming and having a $40 burger. That's right. It wouldn't work out.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah. And I guess when you I so of course, for the gluten-free girlies, the community, the safety, like kind of what you're getting at, is very, very important. Um, can you maybe walk us through what your process is like for ingredient sourcing and label checking and kind of keeping things safe for guests who have gluten allergies and other food intolerances?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, first line was, you know, when I select every menu item, we go through every single thing that's in it, and we're, you know, making sure um where it's sourced and it's you know safe for everybody. And then while my second line of defense is my is my purveyors, because they know that gluten should not come in my building. And, you know, they're always looking, you know, what's what item can I give you for that prop, you know, for that. Um, so they're a great help. And then my third line of defense is when the order comes in, my staff, you know, they have to go through every box, make sure they haven't changed the labels, they haven't, you know, somehow it's you know slightly different. Um, so they're they're always reading everything. And I always get messages, oh look, this look at this pack package. Is this different? I don't know. And I'm like, thank you. Like, you know, I know they're I know they're doing their job there. We I mean there's that we can't always do everything 100% just because there's so much involved, but we're always gluten-free. And but um, you know, having to keep everything kind of soy free and all that, it's it's another battle. And once once I get more locations and I really want to be making like I'll be able to make the sauces be, you know, allergen-free and or the most most of that the sauce, you know, most of the allergies. So I I just I I'm always looking towards getting rid of allergens, but yeah, I can't always do it cost effectively.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah. Has any with has anything, I guess, surprised you about that process as you were finding the gluten-free or other allergy from ingredients? Has anything been like the most surprising thing to you while doing that?

SPEAKER_03

I I just don't think everybody follows the labeling laws that they're supposed to because they're still doing a lot of research on this. It'll, you know, what kind it doesn't always, it's not always clear. And it's supposed to be labeled clear. So hopefully they come out with some better, some better guidelines. It sounds like some people are really working on it in the community.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, that's good. That's interesting. I didn't know that. Um, I know the menu has evolved a lot since you first launched. You know, you guys had pizzas at first, now you have like donut holes and burritos, like you mentioned, and my favorite popcorn, chicken, and waffles. Um, how do you decide what goes on the menu and also like what becomes a permanent item? Because I know you have some specials as well.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, well, the menu has evolved a lot. You know, I used to have Mediterranean bowls, I used to make falafel. The falafel was so good. I used to make all my breads from scratch. Wow. Um, and that was just way too much once I start getting busy. Like, I can't, the labor was too insane. And that's where the part where like I never managed a restaurant before. So when I started it, I I want everything from scratch. All these sauces are coming from scratch, all this stuff you're cutting my fries, like literally was down to you're we're making the bread, we're making the yeah, and then it was like this is not sustainable, it's not, and then when you're spending so much time on making my own bread, and then and then the shelf life isn't long and it's boiling, and I'm just like trying to so definitely having to use you know other other manufacturers, we found some really, really great ones, and um it's it's able to help us serve a lot more people for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, and I can imagine to your point, like as jewels continues to grow and expand, it's probably easier to do that when you have these different manufacturers as opposed to every location having to make their own things from scratch.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, because when there wasn't good stuff out, that's when you know, I'm like, there wasn't good buns out, there wasn't good bread out and then, and then finally when we're like, okay, well, now they're coming out with some things, so let's try them, and that's gonna help us out. And then so now we've got it so good that you know, for a restaurant and a business standpoint, it's it can make profit before it could not make a profit, you know. Feeding all these people, well, yay, but I need to feed myself too. Um, and keeping prices, you know, affordable. Like you go into some gluten-free places and you I feel robbed, like I get upset, and I don't want people to have that feeling, you know. And you know, things are generally more expensive. So sometimes people like, oh my gosh, like eight dollars for a cinnamon roll. I'm like, go to the other place and it's nine and it's not gluten-free. Like, but it's just kind of catching up with like knowing how much things cost, especially when they're home, when they're made from scratch and the the price increase of everything. So sometimes people are not expecting the price, but it's because they just don't go looking anywhere for it, you know, yet.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Um, so like we discussed, you've been in business now for almost 15 years, which is incredible. Um, and at this point, people are literally planning trips to Phoenix around going to Jules. Has there been anything in these past 15 or so years that has made you especially proud?

SPEAKER_03

Ugh, oh my god, I could like say like 20 things. I'll say some quick. So this cute little girl, Eliana, she did uh she did a gluten-free travel guide with a bunch of restaurants, and I'm the highlight. Like, she's been like uh took a cake decorating class from me when she was so young, and then she just was been like, Jules is my favorite. And so I'm featured in that book, which is really amazing. Um, the community is just so appreciative and loving. My son needed a kidney. Um uh you know, he was 11 years old when he came down with a severe uh kidney uh disease, and it was an autoimmune disease, and um I needed help finding the right donor. My sons were not the best match, and uh then the community came together and we had the highest amount of donors come forward ever that the hospital had ever seen, the donor program had seen. And um literally people would come and be like, You can have my kidney, you can have my kidney, and that was just like the greatest feeling in the world to know like how appreciative the community is um for what I do, and and they saved his life because you know he got his kidney from a customer's friend that she had just met this friend and friended her and shared the story, and and uh and she was willing to give her kidney to a complete you know stranger. The community is amazing. We get letters all the time. We got a beautiful card yesterday from this lady when we did the grip, the giving meal program during when the when the food stamps, you know, were when the government was shut down. Um, you know, and a lot of people a lot of our our community donated ten dollars. We said, okay, ten dollars, we'll give them any meal they want. Okay, they can pick one meal, and so they they donated a lot um towards that, which was great, and we donated some meals. And this one lady in particular, she needed a lot, you know, a lot more meals. So we just gave ended up giving her a gift card and off the the the she emailed us two times this big long, just amazing thank you, and then she sent us a card yes, or she came in and brought it yesterday. So um, I've been invited to weddings. Wow, um, because I literally watched these people grow up, you know. Yeah, they grow up with me. I've been uh I get graduation announcements, um, just thank you cards um in the mail. That kind of thing is really special because to take the time to do those kind of things, you know, people don't always get to pen and paper or mailing things nowadays. So I think those are really those are really great.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's incredible. That's an amazing impact to have on the community.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and having people travel, they're like, okay, my trip was traveled around you, like not me, but my restaurant. Please come see me. Um and they they get a hotel close by, and most almost all their meals are are at Jules, and the air they came come in on the airplane and they come out, you know, the Uber or whatever with their luggage. And um one day we had the most amount of luggage ever. I couldn't even believe it. Like we didn't even ask. How do we get so much? It literally took up the whole entire wall, like four, like five feet long, and then it was about it was about you know like like five feet high. They just had to pile one day.

SPEAKER_00

That's crazy. I feel like anyone who comes to visit me now, I'm like, we're going. Like, you've never been here, we're going there. So I yeah, I definitely understand that. Thank you. Yeah. Um, so looking ahead, where do you see like gluten-free dining and eating going in the next five years? And where do you want jewels be a part of that?

SPEAKER_03

I I think a lot of restaurants are realizing it, but it is really not, it's really hard. Like, especially with restaurant turnover, just knowing how restaurants operate, and most of them have a high turnover rate. And some of these people, you know, they're just teenagers or, you know, and you're you're kind of just expecting them to understand all of this and cross-contamination and just just flower in the air, or you know, just little things that they may not think that they that they do or touch at a certain time. Um, you know, that's really hard for a restaurant to just guarantee that things are going to be gluten-free. Um, it takes a lot of training on their part. So, you know, I I get asked so often, like, can you put this in my city? Can you put this in my over here? You know, I wish I had this at home. Um, and then a lot of people say, I want to open one. I I I I was getting like like one a week um for like for like I've had 60 people at least, 60 or 70 people tell me they want to put one. Um, so that's what I've been really working on is putting together a franchise. Um, you know, I've been doing it for so many years, and and if if I could take off the first the first six years of bleeding, you know, by having this manual and this book that tells me everything that people love, I mean, our menu is really proven to really hit a lot of people and um and what they want. And um, you know, I was I'm always looking at what's trending, like most of my feed, what's trending, what food trending, desserts trending. Um, because people like, gosh, I see these things. I'm I have to get that, I have to get that. Right. And I know everybody does that. So how can we provide that flavor? You know, cookie butters like who says, you know, gluten-free cookie butter. So that's one of our specials this month.

SPEAKER_00

Um, okay, I'll have to come by then.

SPEAKER_03

You know, uh just always looking for the best thing out there to to make as a you know, to spice it up, make it different, and um not be just going there having the same thing every time. Like you talked about the specials before. Um, I I just look for something that's really trending, really just has been a cla or a classic, you know, like the Reuben is absolutely one of my favorite specials. But then it's hard for when I put a special on and it's so good, and so many people like put this on the menu. Like everything, I'll drop at a table and be like, you have to you put this on the menu, and so then I can't put everything on the menu, but that's luckily we have some some rotating specials, um things things that I really love because I have I have my favorites for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I remember you said there was like a Philly cheesesteak, right? And the people from Philly were like, This is better than the Philly, Philly cheesesteaks.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, so yeah, a food reviewer just came in. I I think I reposted it last night, but um she she doesn't eat gluten-free, she doesn't go to gluten-free places, but I met her at a at an event and she's like, Oh yeah, I want to come by. So she said that the Philly was her favorite thing. So that was really nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, wow, okay, Julie, this has been amazing. Um, I could honestly keep talking about Jules' menu all day because I do genuinely love all the food there. Um, but we should get to the get to the rapid fire. Um, so just whatever you think of first, quick answers. Uh, first one sweet or savory? Both together. What is your all time favorite sweet item at Jules?

SPEAKER_03

I I think the Paris breasts, it because we switch the flavors up all the time. I just love European pastries. But also the brownie, the peanut butter brownie, like the peanut butter cookie. I know you said one, but those are you can do more than one. Those are my three favorite.

SPEAKER_00

And what's your all-time favorite savory item at jewels?

SPEAKER_03

I think things with chorizo.

SPEAKER_00

Anything with chorizo. Yeah, that's smart. Um, go-to gluten-free, gut-friendly snack.

SPEAKER_03

I get like an organic turkey breast slices, you know, like and I'll chop up bell pepper slices real thin, and then I'll just eat it like a taco.

SPEAKER_00

That's interesting. That actually sounds interesting.

SPEAKER_03

I don't know why it's so good.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Do you put any seasoning on it or no? Wow. Okay, I might I might have to try that. Um, what is the most underrated ingredient in gluten-free baking or cooking? Rice flour, maybe.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, people you could do a lot of things. You can thicken with it, you know. Um, you can make mochi with it. You can you can make rice bread.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, that's true. I love like brown rice flour in particular. I love, yeah, that's true. It is and when I discovered it, like you said, I feel like you can make literally anything with it. It's kind of pretty cool.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, people are like, oh my gosh, I can't make gluten-free gravy. I'm like, just get rice flour. Just get rice flour.

SPEAKER_01

Very true.

SPEAKER_00

Um, what's one thing you wish every gluten-free girling knew before eating out?

SPEAKER_03

Not to be afraid to just speak your mind and get, you know, the truth about how it's being prepared. And just don't be afraid. Who cares what these people think? You need to be safe. Yeah, you need to not leave, you know, sick.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you know, great advice. Um, and what's one thing you hope every food and freakerly feels when she eats at Jules? At home. Micro. Like, there's really no better answer. Like, you don't even have to explain anymore. Yeah. No, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_03

Um, I love it when customers be like, this is my home. And I'm like, yes.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Genuinely comfort food. Like, if that's what it should feel like. It's amazing. Yeah. Um, is there anything else you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_03

Um just anybody who's been thinking of opening a gluten-free restaurant, you know. I I have a proven model and I've been working on it, and um the reviews are are great. I mean, we get so many reviews in, it's just, it's like wow, it's blessed. And it's it's honestly like the best job you you could ever ever want. Because when you walk in that door, everyone appreciates you. There are I get hugs, you know, people want to take pictures with me. Um, they're just so thankful that I do this. And like I get called out a lot to the tables. Can you go out to table 10? You know, and I'm like, we just want to thank you so much for doing this, like just being able to come in here and have anything on the menu. And I think just that gratitude on the daily, like you just want to do your best and you want to serve the best, and you want the reactions, you know, um, that you get from people for the specials for anything, and and the crying moments, and just like who has a job like that? Tell me.

SPEAKER_00

I don't I don't know. Yeah, I do, I do. Yeah, I mean it's amazing. I think it's because kind of like you're saying, like you're solving a problem for people, right? And anytime, like someone's, like you said, embarrassed or uncomfortable or in any other situation, and then you solve that for them. So now we can all like eat regularly. I think it's like you said, it's something amazing and something worth being grateful for.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I mean, the huge parties that we host, you know, party at 20 coming in Saturday is not unusual. Everyone brings their whole entire party, and I always go and greet them, and you're like, how was everything? Oh my gosh, you know, and they're like, everybody loved it. You know, we're not having anybody say, I don't like this, it tastes cold and free, like like I do when I go places.

SPEAKER_00

Fair, yeah, fair. Well, thank you so much, Julie. This has been really, really great. Um, thank you for sharing everything about jewels and how you're building such an amazing place full of like comfort food that people with allergies can genuinely feel safe eating at. Um, everyone, if you're in Phoenix, Jules Bakery and Cafe is definitely a must to check out. Um, and even if you're not, you might just want to drool over the menu like I do sometimes. Um, so you can check out jewelsbakeryandcafe.com and follow along at Jules GF Cafe on Instagram and TikTok. Thank you, Julie. It's really been great to talk to you.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for spreading the word.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you so much for tuning in to Eat with Dominique. I had an amazing time chatting with Julie about Jules Bakery and Cafe and the comfort it's provided for people with gluten sensitivities and other food allergies who just want to sit down, eat, and feel included. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. What's one food you wish didn't taste gluten-free, or a place where you finally felt like you could just order anything on the menu? Let me know. And if you're local, the Eat with Dominique community gets 20% off at jewels. Just mention Eat with Dominique when you go in now through the end of April. I can't wait for you to try it. And let me know what you ordered too. If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And if you have a gluten-free, allergy-friendly, or gut-sensitive friend who needs better options, send this episode their way. We'd love to have them. This podcast is all about actionable tips, trustworthy brands, and real strategies to make gluten free, gut friendly living easier, tastier, and pain free. So remember, whether it's life or food, make sure it's always good to you, good for you, and good with you. I'll see you soon.