LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — There’s a new place in town serving up donuts with a difference.

Auntie M’s Bakery and Café held its grand opening, offering a menu that is entirely gluten- and dairy-free.

For chef and owner Michaela Buteau, the bakery is about more than satisfying a sweet tooth. It grew out of her own health journey and a career she once thought she would have to leave behind.

After earning a degree in baking and pastry arts, Buteau discovered that she would have to cut gluten and dairy from her diet. But finding food that fit her needs was difficult, and so was figuring out what that meant for the career she had worked toward for years.

“I kind of went through a mental crisis because it was just so sad and it was so hard to find places,” Buteau said. “And the thing that I worked so hard for, I would have to change career paths.”

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Instead of walking away from baking, Buteau found a way to combine her passion for pastry with her dietary needs.

Auntie M’s is a walk-up bakery and café where customers can grab coffee and fresh donuts without gluten or dairy.

The grand opening drew a bigger crowd than Buteau expected. She prepared around 300 donuts for the celebration, and still sold out of several flavors.

And the bakery’s name has a personal meaning, too.

“Auntie M’s” is a nod to Buteau’s favorite role — being an aunt.

For Buteau, the bakery is a chance to make the kind of treats she once struggled to find while building a business around the career she loves.