When Jeanine Smith set out to open an entirely gluten-free and peanut-free bakery and restaurant in Spokane, she wanted to offer food anyone would like, no matter their food sensitivities.

“Our goal really is to get families in that can enjoy a meal together … but not have to worry about cross contamination for the person who needs an allergy-friendly diet,” says Smith, herself diagnosed with Celiac Disease about a decade ago.

Smith and her husband, Eric Smith, co-own Cole’s Fine Foods LLC, which does business as Cole’s Bakery & Café. Named after Jeanine’s family, the business sells an assortment of baked goods and homemade food. Options in the bakery can vary daily. Some goods, such as scones, brownies, and cupcakes are offered year-round, but other foods change seasonally.

The sit-down restaurant sells foods including mushroom and swiss burgers and veggie omelets, she says, all gluten free, of course.

Cole’s opened in 2014 at 521 E. Holland, says Smith. At the time, the business consisted of just the bakery. Fourteen months ago, the Smiths expanded Cole’s to its current, roughly 2,200 square feet of space and opened the restaurant. Last month, they opened a deli case, including meats that can’t be readily purchased in most grocery stores, such as Lebanon bologna. Nearly all of the meats and cheeses in the deli case are sourced from Amish producers.

Cole’s also makes special order cakes, including wedding and birthday cakes. The company caters events and offers a completely different catering menu than the one at the restaurant, she says. Cole’s also can schedule and open early for business meetings.

Now operating on its winter hours, the company employs about 10 people. The peak season for Cole’s ranges from late spring to right before winter; however, it’s also busy during the holidays because of the pies and other food and treats it offers for that time of year, she says.

Although Smith declines to disclose Cole’s revenue, she says it rose 42 percent last year and is expected to increase again this year.

Smith asserts that much of the gluten-free food found on the market is full of preservatives. Cole’s tries to incorporate whole grain and seed flours. None of Cole’s homemade goods contain preservatives, she claims.

“Everything we make—right down to our ranch tartar sauce—all of our sauces are made from scratch,” she says. “That’s really what sets us apart; we know every single ingredient that’s in our products,” she says.

Although the focus of Cole’s is gluten-free and peanut-free goods, Smith says the bakery and café is for all foodies who want to eat healthier, regardless of whether they have allergies. Cole’s demographic ranges from children to seniors, both with and without allergies. Cole’s also has several dairy-free and vegan options, and it’s starting to incorporate options for people eating paleo and ketogenic diets, she says.

The company also sells products of companies it partners with, including Atlanta-based KNOW Foods and Spokane-based Prairie Pantry LLC.

Smith says she wanted to open Cole’s “to serve people who have limited availability of good food and yummy food. We use good ingredients. We don’t skimp.”

Smith says she’s tasted gluten-free food that tasted like “cardboard.”

Celiac Disease, or celiac sprue, is a recessive, hereditary autoimmune disorder that results in small intestine damage when gluten is ingested, according to the Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Celiac Disease Foundation. Found in wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives, gluten triggers the body into thinking it’s being attacked, resulting in health complications. About 2.5 million Americans are estimated to be undiagnosed.

Looking forward, Smith says she plans on licensing, which is similar to franchising, Cole’s and already has a few people interested in opening one. Potential locations include Missoula, Mont.; Boise, Idaho; and Seattle. Locally, there’s a possibility of a new location on the South Hill, in Spokane Valley, or in Post Falls. 

She says that all those businesses would be owned by other people, and she doesn’t have plans to own another Cole’s for now.

She holds master’s degrees in business and management from the University of Phoenix, and her husband holds a bachelor’s degrees in business and in environmental sciences from Western Washington University.

Cole’s Bakery & Café is currently open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., she says.