(WSVN) – A well-known South Florida health food store bought many of their gluten-free bakery items from a small one-of-a-kind bakery. Then they refused to pay the small business. Can a big business get away with that? Tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Some people are allergic to wheat, barley and other grains that have gluten.
Ana Crolla: “So they cannot eat bread, they cannot eat pizza or anything that has gluten.”
Imagine that! Never get to taste anything with flour. No cookies, no croquetas, no pasta — unless you come to Dora’s Bakery in Coral Gables.
Ana Crolla: “We bake without gluten. We make pizza, sandwiches, even croquetas. Everything that people are craving to eat.”
Ana named Dora’s after a family member, and she says it’s the only place in South Florida where everything in the store is 100% gluten-free.
Ana Crolla: “Everything is great. You wouldn’t notice that it’s gluten-free.”
I bought a hamburger on a freshly baked gluten-free bun. Incredible!
But we weren’t there to make our mouths water. It’s because of what a company called Dr. Smood is doing to Dora’s.
Ana Crolla: “So we started supplying them for five or six stores that they had at that time with several products, and we did cookies and brownies, and we were supplying them twice a week.”
Dr. Smood, also known as Cafe Smood, is a health food chain that bought Dora’s baked goods for two years.
Ana Crolla: “They were always a little late, but we would call them, and they would pay. But the last time they didn’t pay anymore. They owe us $4,500.”
Forty-five hundred dollars is a lot of money for a small business. Dr. Smood told Ana they were shutting down. Her reply?
Ana Crolla: “I said that if they couldn’t pay us with money, that we would take some equipment. I’m sure they do have a lot of ovens, mixers, whatever.”
Again, they refused.
A big business going under, burning a small bakery at the same time.
Ana Crolla: “It’s very tough. It’s very niche, so it’s been very tough.”
Tough, but is Ana out of luck, Howard?
Howard Finkelstein: “Probably yes, because Florida law allows companies to go out of business and stiff their creditors or pay some of them pennies on the dollar. The reality: The big companies are first in line to get paid. The small businesses, who can’t afford attorneys, go to the back of the line. Meaning Dora’s won’t get the $4,500 from Dr. Smood.”
I contacted Oliver Sindlev from Dr. Smood. He said the company lost tens of millions before shutting down. When I asked them to at least pay Dora’s Bakery some of the money they owed, he said, “There’s no money in any of the companies.”
When I said, ‘Give her equipment to help her,’ he said: “We can’t make special arrangements with any creditors and offer physical assets as payment.”
He added maybe, as they sell off the assets, they could pay her some money, but they had other creditors wanting to get paid as well.
Ana Crolla: “I am sorry that happened to them, but here we are all in the same boat.”
As Ana spoke, you could smell the fresh bread coming out of the oven, which reminded her the bakery is not just for people who can’t eat gluten. It’s delicious for everyone.
Ana Crolla: “We are a great food that happens to be gluten-free. So if you’re gluten-free, everybody can come here and eat because you can’t tell the difference that the food is gluten-free.”
You just hate to see small businesses get taken. Dora’s Bakery is off Eighth Street in Coral Gables. They deliver, they ship, and most importantly, the food tastes great. Give them a try to help them out. And if you are a small business, the first time someone is late paying, it’s a red flag. Cut them off.
Someone coming at you half-baked? Don’t want a cookie-cutter solution? Sweeten things by calling us, to let us separate the wheat from the chaff.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser 7News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dora’s Bakery and Bistro
3822 SW Eighth Street
305-665-7818
doraglutenfree.com
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.