Having a gluten allergy or celiac disease can be difficult at best and discouraging at worst. When eating out, many restaurants have limited to no gluten-free options, and when they do, they frequently come with disclaimers that the chefs cannot guarantee the items are completely free of the allergen.
Perhaps it’s no wonder, then, that many with the allergy or celiac disease prefer to cook their own meals or simply avoid certain foods altogether.
Cassie Secor and Jenn Merring are the co-owners of Lynn & Louie’s, a gluten-free specialty kitchen that is working to change this locally. Both owners know what it’s like to struggle finding reliable gluten-free options when dining out: Secor has a number of allergies, including a gluten one, while Merring has celiac disease.
Gluten is found in a large amount of foods and even a handful of drinks, as it is contained in wheat, rye and barley. These grains are used to make everything from the obvious, like bread and pasta, to unexpected items like beer, soy sauce, malt vinegar and even some processed meats.
Having firsthand experience with just how narrow a menu can be for someone with an allergy or celiac disease, Secor and Merring started their journey as a part-time bakery cooking out of the kitchen of Longworth’s Family Restaurant in Jermyn.
“I thought what they were doing was really amazing,” said Susan Longworth, one of Longworth’s owners and a friend of Lynn & Louie’s. “I’ve obviously continued to support them. But eventually, things started getting too big for our kitchen.”
Lynn & Louie’s made plans to move to their own kitchen, which they found several minutes away in downtown Olyphant. The storefront opened in December 2023. They continued to offer gluten-free baked goods, including cookies, breads and call-to-order cakes and cupcakes, but much like several bakeries in the area, there was no place to sit down and eat the food on premise.
A few months ago, a space next door perfect for a dining room opened up — and with that physical expansion came an expansion in their menu and mission.
“This place used to be a place called Eleanor’s Bar,” Merring said. “Now that we have this space, we don’t really want to call ourselves a bakery anymore. We sell all sorts of sit-down lunch food, and we don’t have a display case that has cakes or anything like that. The stuff we make and bake is just gluten-free.”
The two refer to Lynn & Louie’s as a “specialty kitchen” for those reasons, and their menu is more like a lunch cafe than a bakery. They do still have cookies on a shelf in front of what used to be the bar, but they are more focused on sandwiches, wraps and burgers, among other things they now offer. They do monthly specials and brunches on certain days of the month. One can even call and reserve a gluten-free pizza and have it ready for Friday, although it is recommended to call before Thursday.
“We have listed on the menus any other allergies that could be activated by what we have in each item as well,” said Secor. “We’re able to accommodate anybody who has those allergies … if something has nuts, we can make it without them. If you have an egg or milk allergy, we have to ask that you call ahead so we can be aware of that before we start cooking.”
The café has carved out a niche for itself in the Lackawanna Valley. According to Merring, those with gluten allergies have a limited amount of choices outside of the big cities when it comes to places they can eat. Lynn & Louie’s is one of those options in between New York City and Philadelphia, and they’ve come up as such on apps that allow those with allergies to identify safe places to eat.
“People will order something simple like a grilled cheese, and they’ll be thrilled that they can eat stuff like that again,” Merring said. “Our grilled cheese is our most popular item. We don’t get tired of seeing people with allergies being happy about the fact that they can enjoy comfort food again when they come here.”
Lynn & Louie’s is located at 412 W. Lackawanna Ave. in Olyphant and is open for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To check out the menu and most up-to-date hours, visit the business’ Facebook page.
Local businesses who may be interested in buying wholesale gluten-free items from Lynn & Louie’s can email lynn.louiesllc@gmail.com.
Check it out
Lynn & Louie’s specialty kitchen is located at 412 W. Lackawanna Ave. in Olyphant and is open for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To check out the menu and most up-to-date hours, visit the business’ Facebook page.