Sunlight filters through the windows of The Happy Mixer, reflecting off of glass cases that display baked confections ranging from wafers to tiered cakes. Founders Lisa and Tim Mourer brought their vision of an old-fashioned bakery to life, but with a twist: everything is gluten-free.

Although they only recently opened The Happy Mixer Gluten Free Bakery in Gateway Shopping Center, the Mourers are no strangers to gluten-free baking. After spending a year and a half creating recipes and the bakery’s custom flour blend, the Mourers’ business has grown to include locations in Chalfont, Newtown and Wayne. In that time, The Happy Mixer had been recognized nationally in magazines and on QVC, a channel specializing in televised home shopping.

“It’s wonderful to be voted the No. 1 gluten-free bakery in Pennsylvania because that’s an amazing accomplishment, but I think the thing that means the most to us is the reaction that we get from our customers,” Lisa Mourer said.

While a gluten-free diet may be recommended for a variety of reasons including celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy, some choose to live a gluten-free lifestyle because they find it easier to digest or consume foods that do not contain gluten. Because of this, they are not able to consume many baked goods.

Victoria O’Malley, an employee at The Happy Mixer, has first-hand experience when it comes to helping customers with a gluten-free diet.

“I have seen people come in here and just start crying because they haven’t had a dough- nut in years, or they’ve never had one before,” O’Malley said. “I think it brings this community together, being able to have this shared experience. I hear people saying they’re driving all the way out to our other locations. Now, they won’t have to go as far.”

Freshman Chris Han is grateful that gluten-free options for foods such as pizza and bread have grown since he started with dietary restrictions in third grade. However, cross-contamination is still an issue he faces. According to the Mourers, The Happy Mix- er has strict regulations regarding cross-contamination, something Han is quick to point out.

“It’s definitely nice to have a bakery dedicated to gluten-free (goods) because a lot of the time, even if restaurants say something’s gluten-free, there’s a lot of cross-contamination involved,” Han said.

For junior Alice Richards, The Happy Mixer provides an opportunity for her to be able to enjoy fresh baked goods that other stores don’t offer.

“I still go to the grocery store to buy things, but I do like (The Happy Mixer’s) birthday cakes,” Richards said. “I feel like that’s a benefit because there’s not really any other places that do (offer fresh gluten-free cakes).”

Giving others the experience of enjoying baked goods is at the heart of The Happy Mixer. Once at a grocery store, Lisa Mourer met a woman and her daughter. When the girl learned that the Mourers were opening a gluten-free bakery, she gave her a hug.

“She (the girl) was probably about 10, and I’ve never met her in my life,” Lisa Mourer said. “And then she says, ‘I’m so excited. I thought I’d never get to have a wedding cake.’I still think about it, and it still brings me so much joy. The greatest blessing from all of this is to have those kinds of moments and to have that kind of impact on people’s lives.”