For Dan Raatjes, transforming businesses is a passion. As the chief operations officer at King’s Hawaiian, Raatjes was instrumental in increasing the company’s top line revenue by nearly 450%, significantly boosting profitability and establishing the brand as a household name. Despite these achievements, Raatjes said he had zero food manufacturing or baking experience before joining.

“I really learned the high-speed precision baking and food manufacturing on the job, and owner Mark Taira supported my efforts to hire a world-class team of leaders,” he said.

On top of that, Raatjes discovered eight months into the role that he had celiac disease. 

“I’m leading the operations of a bread company that makes a very high-gluten product, and I can’t eat the product,” he joked. “Very ironic, and somewhat comical. I was perhaps the only bread executive on the planet with celiac.”

These challenges didn’t stop Raatjes from overhauling the operations at King’s Hawaiian for the better, however.

“We truly transformed nearly everything about King’s Hawaiian operations: the planning, sourcing, making and delivery of King’s Hawaiian product was dramatically changed and improved in order to grow the business by four times,” he said. “We built a people-first culture where product quality became everyone’s responsibility, and we improved efficiency in every aspect of our business, which resulted in significant benefits to our income statement.”

After an 11-year run of what Raatjes described as dramatic yet exhausting growth, he stepped away from King’s Hawaiian. Raatjes still kept busy, however, leading the faith-based footwear and apparel brand UNITUS with NBA player Jonathan Isaac, as well as advising some private equity firms. Soon, however, he decided he should put his experience from King’s Hawaiian, and his celiac status, to use and consult for a gluten-free brand.

“I talked with Jane Miller at Rudi’s Gluten Free, and she was very encouraging, but she also asked me to reach out to the chief executive of Promise Gluten Free, owned by the same private equity firm,” he explained.

Based in Donegal, Ireland, Promise Gluten Free was preparing to launch its products in the United States. Raatjes reached out to Chief Executive Officer Patrick O’Sullivan, and when Raatjes received the product, he was blown away.

“My wife and I were absolutely amazed with the taste experience of Promise Gluten Free products,” Raatjes said. “They were far superior to all the current gluten-free offerings on the market.”

Today, Raatjes is chief customer officer for the company, responsible for launching the brand in the United States and driving transformational growth once more. 

“My journey with Promise Gluten Free has just begun,” he said. ”I’m excited to build something from the ground up. We will become the No. 1 gluten-free brand in five years, and I’m excited to lead this effort.”

Here, Raatjes discusses evolving consumer demands as well as opportunities within the gluten-free market.

How have you seen consumers’ health focus shift over the years as it relates to food?

America’s focus is shifting to more healthy eating. And we need this shift. Our obesity rate is 40%, and Type 2 diabetes rates are soaring. We cannot just take a pill to get healthy. We need a holistic approach including diet and exercise to help improve our physical, mental and emotional health. Our health care system cannot handle the unhealthy lifestyle of so many Americans. My hope is that Promise Gluten Free can play a small part in this massive effort to help America get healthy again.

What health claims are consumers seeking when it comes to bread?

Forty million US consumers cannot eat gluten. Three percent are celiac and 9% are gluten intolerant. And there are significantly more consumers who aren’t diagnosed but feel bloated and sluggish after ingesting gluten. There is a huge opportunity for gluten-free products that provide an irresistible eating experience, and the current offerings in the market do not provide this. I’ve been on a strict gluten-free diet for 14 years, so this is personal to me.

The Promise Gluten Free products, all 26 SKUs, are a game-changer in the gluten-free and healthy lifestyle space. We have become the No. 1 gluten-free bread in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, and Promise Gluten Free will be the No. 1 gluten-free bread in the United States by December 2029, and our first sale was in January 2025. We have a challenging and amazing journey ahead of us, and I’m so excited to bring these irresistible products to US consumers. 

Source: Promise Gluten Free

What are the challenges the industry faces in providing BFY and free-from products to consumers?

The gluten-free category is not growing. It’s stuck in the freezer space, and the shopping experience and the product offerings are not appealing. Some brands have moved to ambient, but they package their bread in thick plastic MAP packaging and then put that in a plastic bag. This is to preserve the minimal shelf life they have. This goes completely against our desire to reduce plastic in our landfills and waterways.

There just hasn’t been the research and development and new product focus in the gluten-free space. The team at Promise Gluten Free in both Donegal, Ireland, and Moscow, Pa., have figured out how to produce products that are far superior in every aspect to current gluten-free offerings in the marketplace.

What misconceptions do you see surrounding gluten-free breads and the market in general?

I believe most consumers think you must sacrifice taste when you eliminate gluten. And for the most part, this is true. The vast majority of the gluten-free offerings on the shelf do not provide a good taste experience. Again, this is from my own personal experience for the past 14 years. Perhaps the misconception is that you can’t make great-tasting gluten-free products. Promise Gluten Free has proven that it is possible. It is more expensive to make, but it’s absolutely worth it. The emails we get from consumers who have experienced our products use words like “transformational,” “life changing,” “irresistible,” “best ever,” etc.

What are the challenges in creating gluten-free breads that consumers will purchase? 

The ingredients are more expensive and the production efficiencies are not as good as standard gluten bread. The process to produce high-quality, great-tasting gluten-free bread is complex. But I’m convinced that US consumers will pay slightly more for low-fat, low-sugar, high-fiber Promise Gluten Free bread that will help contribute to a better quality and longevity of life. There have been tremendous discoveries in the past decade about the importance of gut health, and the comprehensive benefits to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Eating gluten-free shouldn’t mean you have to sacrifice the taste experience. Promise Gluten Free products provide a taste experience that is greater than most conventional breads.