Low-carb industry scrambling to redefine itself as fad fades fast

• Barb O'Malley-Wikstrom, owner of the Low Carb Gourmet Market, 1606 Lemay Ave., rearranges pasta sauce at the store.
• When Barb O'Malley-Wikstrom opened Fort Collins' first low-carbohydrate grocery store a year ago, the Atkins diet was grabbing headlines and dieters couldn't get enough low-carb products.
• At this time last year, industry experts predicted the $15 million industry would double in size in the next several years as the number of dieters nationwide surged.
• "My bread and butter is the people that do this as a lifestyle," said O'Malley-Wikstrom.
• In the past two years, companies across the country introduced about 3,730 new low-carb products, according to Productscan Online, a service that tracks new products.
• Now, many of those wholesalers have gone out of business, including New Jersey-based Keto Foods, one of the larger low-carb product companies.
• Not only are fewer dieters contributing to the loss in low-carb market share, but major grocery chains and their buying power also are pushing the specialty stores under, Silberman said.
• Gib's New York Bagels, 2531 S. Shields St., began offering low-carb wraps last year and gave customers the option of scraping out the innards of the bagel to cut back on carbs.
• She also offers occasional cooking classes, giving new customers the chance to taste different products.
• And she's investing about $5,000 in an espresso bar at the store in an attempt to reach all customers - not just those on special diets.
• The coffee bar will open in early May and serve regular coffee drinks, in addition to sugar-free concoctions and low-carb pastries.
• The Collinses, both 65, have restricted carbs from their diets for years and stop by the store to find low-carb replacements for some of their favorite foods - such as pancakes and hamburger buns.