Good Cafe Easton Is a Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Oasis
Created for people who avoid gluten and dairy, this Easton-area cafe serves cinnamon rolls, lattes, burgers, milkshakes and more that everyone at the table can enjoy.
For people with food allergies or dietary restrictions, going out to eat can require more research than relaxation.
Even when a restaurant offers gluten-free or vegan options, diners may still need to ask about ingredients, preparation methods and cross-contact. Sometimes, the only available option is another salad.
Michelle Bolden, owner of Good Cafe Easton, understands that frustration firsthand. She has lived with a dairy allergy for most of her life and later learned that gluten was contributing to health symptoms.
Those experiences inspired her to create the kind of restaurant she wished she could find more often: a place where people avoiding gluten and dairy could relax and choose freely from the menu.
“I want to go somewhere and feel normal,” Michelle says. “I don’t want to have to order a salad. I want to order regular food.”
She also wanted to create food that did not sacrifice taste, texture or quality.
At Good Cafe Easton, every menu item is gluten-free, dairy-free… and designed to be delicious.
A Cafe Created from Personal Experience
Good Cafe is Michelle’s second restaurant venture. She opened her first coffee shop in Pickerington when her children were young, while also building a career in telecommunications. She later helped develop corporate cafes, gaining experience in operations and coffee programs.
Years later, she learned that a former client had closed a sandwich shop in an office building near Easton. The landlord planned to turn the space into a simple grab-and-go area, but Michelle envisioned something more.
Although the cafe is located in an office park near Easton Town Center, Michelle quickly realized its greatest opportunity was outside the building. Customers began traveling there specifically because they had heard the entire menu was gluten-free and dairy-free.
Breakfast and Lunch Without the Guesswork
Good Cafe serves breakfast and lunch, including many foods diners with allergies often struggle to find.
The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, bagels, cinnamon rolls, waffles, burgers, chicken pitas, salads and milkshakes.
Many dishes were inspired by foods Michelle discovered while traveling. Visits to restaurants and bakeries in Michigan, California, Italy, London and elsewhere showed her that gluten-free dining did not have to feel limited.
“Creating the menu was basically asking, ‘What do I want to eat that I can’t find?’” Michelle says.
Her family also inspired several recipes. The cafe’s seasoned potatoes are based on the fried potatoes her grandmother used to make, and the same family-inspired seasoning is used on the chicken.
Other recipes required months of experimentation. Good Cafe’s gluten-free cinnamon rolls took nine months to perfect.
“Gluten-free pastries may be a little denser, but they should still be delicious,” she explains.
Good Cafe makes its bakery items in-house, offers catering for local events and is developing baking mixes for home cooks.
Lattes, Milkshakes and Cafe Favorites
The Hawaiian Salted Caramel Latte is the cafe’s most popular coffee drink and Michelle’s personal favorite.
Other options include the Mocha Bliss Latte, made with dark chocolate, and a caffeine-free Beet Latte made with beetroot powder and steamed nondairy milk. Customers can choose from soy, almond, coconut or oat milk.
Guests can also order dairy-free milkshakes in flavors such as strawberry, blackberry and gluten-free Oreo.
During our visit, the Oreo shake was thick, creamy and every bit as indulgent as a traditional milkshake.
Food favorites include the chicken pita, Mediterranean salad (make it extra yummy with the seasoned grilled chicken), Hawaiian plate and garlic burger served on a gluten-free bun. The cafe cooks with olive oil and sautés its potatoes rather than deep-frying them.
It's easy to experience Good Cafe Easton with the Columbus Foodies Discount Card. Cardholders receive a special offer of Buy One Donut, Get One 50% Off or $2 Off Any Two Drinks and Two Pastries.
A Thoughtful Approach to Allergies
For Michelle, the cafe’s gluten- and dairy-free focus is personal.
She has encountered restaurants where products described as vegan still contained milk-derived ingredients or were served with dairy toppings. Those experiences reinforced the importance of carefully reviewing ingredients and preparation practices.
At Good Cafe Easton, the entire menu is gluten-free and dairy-free, although the cafe does not claim to be free of every possible allergen. Guests with additional allergies or dietary restrictions should speak with staff about ingredients and preparation before ordering.
Some customers without allergies are initially surprised that the cafe does not serve dairy milk. Michelle encourages them to give the alternatives a try.
“This is one place created for people with dairy allergies,” she says. “Try it. You might like it.”
Helping Columbus Discover Good Cafe
One of Good Cafe’s greatest challenges is simply helping more people discover it.
Michelle knows there are diners throughout Central Ohio looking for restaurants that understand gluten and dairy restrictions. Their reactions make it all worthwhile.
“I get excited when someone comes in and asks, ‘Is everything gluten-free?’ and I can say yes,” Michelle says.
For diners accustomed to searching a menu for the one item they may be able to eat, Good Cafe offers something different: the chance to choose a cinnamon roll, breakfast sandwich, burger, latte or milkshake simply because it sounds good.
“I want people to come here and feel normal,” Michelle says. “I want them to be able to order what they want without being afraid.”
Visit Good Cafe Easton
Good Cafe Easton serves a completely gluten-free and dairy-free menu featuring coffee drinks, breakfast, lunch, bakery items and milkshakes.
Location: 4400 Easton Commons, Suite 150, on the ground floor of an office building and open to the public
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.–noon; Sunday, closed
Website: GoodCafeEaston.com
Online ordering: Pickup and delivery available
Guests with food allergies or dietary restrictions should discuss their individual needs with cafe staff before ordering.
This sponsored article was created in partnership with Good Cafe Easton.
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