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Our Story
Get to know A&J Bakery!
A&J bakery is a dedicated nut- and gluten-free facility that is locally owned and operated in Cranston, RI. All of our products are guaranteed nut and gluten-free, as we make prevention of cross-contamination our main priority. We wish to ensure the safety and complete satisfaction of our customers.
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When our doors first opened in 2007, our son Kamden was just a year old. We were a small, 1,000 sq. ft. facility. My wife and I staffed one person to work by our sides, while we both continued to work other jobs in pursuit of our vision of what A&J could be someday. We have grown and changed a great deal since then. In the beginning, we only specialized in Nut Free products. In 2009, we expanded our specialties and no longer used gluten in our products. Since then, all of our products are guaranteed nut and gluten-free. In addition, some products are also available in a combination of dairy, egg, or soy free as well. We have a few allergen-friendly products (free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, soy, sesame, wheat, and nuts). We expanded again in 2012, which included a larger storefront and a need for more employees.
Since 2012, we've prepared products that our customers can take home to bake or heat up in the comfort of their own homes. We make a variety of savory dishes to add to the prepared foods from mozzarella sticks, to ready-to-bake topped pizzas. Our selection of completely allergen-friendly items is always expanding! A few of the things that are free of the top 8 allergens include pies, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, graham crackers, pie dough, and several other items. All of these expansions in our facility, as well as our products, go along with our initial vision of A&J: to be a dedicated and safe nut and gluten-free facility and adapt to the needs of our customers. Most changes we make are a result of feedback from our valued customers. Acknowledging and responding to customer input is one of our top priorities, and we greatly appreciate any positive or negative feedback. Please understand that we sometimes change recipes for the customer's overall needs.
In 2014, we expanded again and added a dedicated nut and gluten free production facility. We would like to sincerely thank all of our customers and family that have been with us throughout the years for continuing to make our dreams a success. The loyalty that our customers have shown over the years is the reason that we keep moving forward today. Many of our customers have witnessed the struggles, as well as the accomplishments, that we have had over the years. Amy is a school teacher during the day at Davies Career and Technical High School in Lincoln, RI and I, Joe, am the head baker here at the bakery during the day. I personally strive to meet the needs of each and every customer when possible. The love that I have for baking as well as my customers keeps me going on a daily basis.
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- Joe Hitzemann
