Fusion Flours launches Kickstarter campaign for move

Fusion Flours Take & Bakery is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund a move to a larger location.

The gluten-free take-out and bakeshop, founded in 2010, hopes to raise $22,000 by April 24. It has until the end of August to find a new site, said owner Tara Wright.

“The landlords are going a different direction,” she said.

Money raised would buy equipment – an oven and range, mixer, freezer, fryer and stainless steel tables – to handle a projected increased workload.

Meantime, Wright is looking for a larger and more visible location. She’s hoping to find something on Spokane’s South Hill or closer to freeway access.

If she doesn’t – or the Kickstarter project doesn’t get funded – she’s worried she would lose her shop.

“It’s an all-or-nothing deal at this point,” she said. “The Fusion Flours everyone knows won’t last if we can’t make it through this hurdle.”

Wright runs Fusion Flours with her daughter Adriana Diaz.

The business is the result of Wright’s road to recovery after suffering for years from undiagnosed celiac disease. Her symptoms stumped doctors and continued to worsen until a chiropractor encouraged her to keep a food journal. Just days after cutting gluten from her diet she began to feel better.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

People who have celiac disease can’t eat gluten because the proteins damage the villi of the small intestine and prevent absorption of nutrients from food. A gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for the disease.

Some people are gluten intolerant and feel better when they eat a gluten-free diet.

“What I really want to be able to do is stay in business and keep bringing our products to people,” Wright said.

Fusion Flours makes gluten-free baking mixes for scones, cookies, cakes, pancakes, bread and pizza dough. It also sells gluten-free flour blends, doughnuts, cakes and pizza, breadstick, bread, scone and cookie dough.

“Our biggest thing now is take-and-bake pizzas,” Wright said.

Another big thing: gluten-free doughnuts on Saturdays.

The shop is currently across from NorthTown Mall at 120 E. Wellesley Ave. For more information, call (509) 217-1610 or visit www.fusionflours.com.