As the mother of two children who suffer from food allergies, Jennifer Herskowitz would spend hours at the grocery store -- scrutinizing labels for dairy, peanut or soy ingredients that might lead to hives or worse.

But it was one particular November -- when she dropped her son off at school only to be told there was nothing for him to eat at the annual Thanksgiving lunch -- that pushed her into entrepreneurship.

"I was driving around Miami searching for [food] that might be close to what the other kids were having, and I was so frustrated, " she recalls. "I wondered, 'Why can't I just go to a single place where I could find him something to eat?' It just seemed unfair."

Last week Herskowitz opened just such a place. The Allergy-Free Shop, at 8803 SW 132 St. in south Miami-Dade County, aims to bring all the hard-to-find foods for allergy sufferers under one roof. In addition to food, the 3,000 square-foot store carries hypoallergenic teddy bears, air filters, fragrance-free laundry detergent, organic clothing and more than 1,000 other items. The store also plans to feature guest speakers as a service to those who are just learning to live with food restrictions.

CRITICAL CONCERN

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, food allergies are responsible for two to three deaths and 5,000 hospitalizations per week. And about 7 percent of children under age 4 have an allergic reaction to food.

Catalina Corpus is the mother of a 5-year-old daughter who suffers from severe peanut allergies. Recently, after being fed a chocolate chip that had been produced on a machine that also processed peanuts, her daughter went into anaphylactic shock.

Corpus said she's relieved to find a store that understands how serious food allergies can be.

CAREFREE CUPCAKES

"I understand they are going to have cupcakes and cakes in the store that are peanut-free -- so we can finally go and get a freshly made cupcake and not worry, " Corpus said. "I'm looking forward to having a place that's safe for [my daughter] and that gives us more options."

It's that kind of response that led our judges to believe the Allergy Free Shop is on to something.

"They clearly know the market from personal experience, which should be a big plus, " wrote one judge.

"They will have a core of dedicated customers, " another pointed out.

The concept is not entirely unique, but there's nothing quite like it locally.

Grocery stores such as Wild Oats or Whole Foods that might carry some of the same items do not usually have them organized in a convenient way, said Herskowitz.

"There are no allergy sections within those stores, so the customer has to read all the labels meticulously, " she said.

The partners behind the venture have backgrounds suited for the niche. Herskowitz is a licensed attorney, and her father-in-law, Allan Herskowitz, is a neurologist.

GETTING STARTED

Combining personal savings and a bank loan, the team is expecting to put some $300,000 into getting the venture past the start-up phase.

But the concept is not without its challenges.

Some of the judges worried that the store's focus may be too limited.

"Destination stores don't always do well beyond the immediate geographic area [and there is] little attraction to non-core customers, " one pointed out.

Competition could also be fierce. The barriers for an existing grocery store to organize an allergy-free aisle are minimal, another said.

But Herskowitz is hoping that an aggressive marketing campaign in parenting magazines and back-to-school fairs will help get the word out about The Allergy-Free Shop and help build a loyal group of customers.

While Herskowitz may have started The Allergy-Free Shop to solve her own problems, she's committed to do the same for other families.

During opening week, Herskowitz was handing out comment cards to customers. "If there is anything you would like to see here, let us know, " she said. "We will make it happen."

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