Last summer, before they opened, two gluten-free bakeries were featured in the Post-Gazette.

Now that they're up and running, how's business?

Let's take a look.

Mojca Pipus has celebrated two momentous events over the past several months: the opening of her bakery in Squirrel Hill, and the removal of daughter Ilana's autism diagnosis. Ms. Pipus credits a GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) diet with helping to achieve the latter as well as inspiring the former.

And she's helped a lot more folks than just her own daughter. Laughing, she noted she gets at least one customer a week who comes in and cries because they can finally eat their old favorites again.

"They're used to stuff that doesn't taste good" because gluten-free flours are so hard to bake with.

Ms. Pipus continues to add to the menu at Gluuteny, planning to sell baking mixes along with homemade baked goods. Recent additions to the menu include coffee cakes, pumpkin loaves and whoopee pies, along with the usual turnovers, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, pies, cakes, breads and more. At customer requests, she is beginning to add egg-free items, such as breads, and is contemplating a line of kosher products also.

Information: 412-521-4890, www.gluuteny.com. The bakery is located at 1923 Murray Ave.

The mother of three children on special diets (and a carnivorous fourth), Lori Karavolis runs the McDonald shop that customers have dubbed "The Gluten-Free Panera," selling soup, sandwiches (grilled paninis) and salads every day, plus all the goodies on the bakery side, including breads, biscotti, pizzelles, Danishes, cookies, cakes and pies.

She also sells several self-published cookbooks; one focuses on kid-friendly foods.

She bakes on a schedule; customers can call to find out what day she's baking their favorites. Items spend two days on the shelf and then go into the freezer; customers are encouraged to stop in and holler, "What's in the freezer?" -- that stuff is for sale, too.

All items in the bakery and cafe are gluten-free, and at least 60 percent are also milk-free. Some are nut-free, egg-free or meatless, and everything is clearly labeled.

She's had any number of happy gluten-free customers, including a girl who wanted to meet Mrs. Karavolis because she was so thrilled with her birthday cake.

But a high percentage of customers have no allergies; they just want a good lunch.

"That's the biggest compliment," Mrs. Karavolis said.

Information: 724-207-0009, www.loribakes.com. The bakery is located at 100 S. McDonald St.

Also, folks who live in the North Hills can buy home-baked gluten-free goods from Elvira Scolieri, who sells her "Homemade Gluten-Free Goodies" from her home at 2911 Grandview Drive, Hampton. Order a day or two in advance: 724-443-3992.