Ironically, it took a depressed economy, a downturn in sales and a layoff for Scott Guman to soar as a businessman.

The father of five used the skills he’d honed working with various departments of Mack Trucks for 23 years to strike out on his own, buy a bakery and restaurant in South Whitehall and become his own boss.

As a computer programmer, he worked with employees in quality assurance, purchasing, accounting, marketing and parts and service.

"All would help me run my own business,” he said.

At first, Guman, of Bethlehem Township, considered using his 401K to buy a beer distributor because, well, he said, he likes beer.  But his accountant talked him out of it. 

Searching online, he discovered another opportunity that also reduced his risks as a new entrepreneur: buying an established business with a good reputation -- Relish, an eatery that specializes in gluten-free dining in the Tilghman Square shopping center, and Icing, a bakery that also specializes in gluten-free baked goods.

Guman took over in mid-August and has concentrated on promoting the restaurant’s uniqueness.

What he liked about Relish was that it filled a niche -- no other local restaurant he knew offered specialty training for employees in food preparation and menu selections that cater to folks with food allergies.

“I want people to know it’s here,“ he said, still frustrated when first-timers  tell him they never knew such a place existed.

Toward that end, Guman is advertising on television and online, and he has updated Relish’s website so everyone can gain easy access to the menu, specials, hours and news.  

Guman doesn’t want to mess with what’s worked well for the previous owners. In fact, chef Jamey Hodgin continues to create dishes that have been the hallmark of Relish, Guman said. Any changes to the menu will come gradually, sticking with what gluten-free diners enjoy most, and expanding into more gluten-free and vegan entrees as well as baked goods.  

Joining Guman is his new venture is his wife Lori, who helps out with management, and their two oldest sons, Scott and Sam, who are part-time dish-washers and servers.

Guman said being laid off with hundreds of other Mack workers when the company moved its headquarters to North Carolina was rough. Faced with the option of moving south or losing his job, Guman said he and his wife traveled to the Tar Heel state three times in hopes of relocating but ultimately could not sell their house by the January 2010 deadline.

"Permanently" laid off in April, Guman found himself in good company, among an estimated 36,000 Lehigh Valley unemployed. (The unemployment rate in the Lehigh Valley region in April 2010 was 9.4 percent.) But the layoff also gave him the incentive to remake himself: from employee to business owner.  Guman rolled his 401K from Mack into a new corporation, Guman Holdings.

So far he likes the challenge.

“We are a small restaurant so I would initially like to increase sales….We will also expand into catering and the baked goods business, which will be linked to our website. Ultimately,” Guman said,” I would like to open another Relish restaurant in a different part of the valley.”