Maker of gluten-free goodies hopes to carve niche

In the 10 years since she was diagnosed with celiac disease, Reno's Aimee Eiguren has struggled to find gluten-free foods that didn't taste like cardboard.

Eiguren has taken matters into her own hands, joining with her mother, Paula Eiguren of Carson City, to launch Tia's Sweet Treats, a maker of gluten-free baked goods.

The company is starting small with a line of three gluten-free macaroon products sold online and a few shops such as The Hub Coffee Co. in downtown Reno.

"It's a calling, a passion," says Aimee Eiguren, who also works as public relations director of Innerwest Advertising in Reno. "We're taking baby steps, and we'll let it grow."

The company, launched just before Christmas, relies on social media for its marketing plan. Eiguren writes a well-visited blog, Gluten Free Bowl of Soul, about living with celiac disease.

The mother-and-daughter team are vigilant that the macaroons are produced in a gluten-free kitchen, and they acknowledge that may produce a challenge as the company needs larger production facilities.

Another challenge, says Aimee Eiguren, has been maintaining control on the costs of the macaroon's organic ingredients. Gluten-free food, she says, often costs 30 percent more than other foods, and Tia's Sweet Treats is trying to squeeze that differential.

The company prices a single macaroon at $3, and sells a dozen in a gift box for $24.