bake - June 2019 - Pan - 47

PROFILES

F

or 13 years, Tierra Caliente has
provided Houston customers with
flavorful Hispanic breads, cakes
and pastries, and business is booming.
Give credit to the wide variety of highquality products available at this innovative
nine-store bakery, as well as the fact that
Houston's Hispanic population is now the
third largest (1 million Hispanics live in
Houston) of any city in the United States.
"This past year, we grew quickly. We added
three locations in a one year," says co-owner
Fernando Duque, who runs the business with
co-owner Ruben Arguello. "Opportunity is
driving growth. For our products, they are
recession-proof, so long as we are keeping
prices affordable for the people."
Offering 120 to 130 fresh bakery
products on a daily basis continues to play
a critical role in their success. All cases
are kept spotless, and the soft lighting
in the display cases puts the spotlight on
product quality. When you walk in the
door, you immediately recognize that this
is much more than a Hispanic bakery. It is
a fresh bakery for everyone.
"We display a lot of everything, and we
constantly change to keep the products on

the shelves unique and fresh," Duque says.
"We believe in a variety of product to be
successful. The more variety we offer, the
more products we sell."
Guatemalan-style, open-face burritos are
among the popular new favorites, which
are available with pineapple or strawberry
filling. Guatemalan breads are gaining
popularity in direct correlation to the rising

HOUSTON'S
HISPANIC
POPULATION
by country
of origin
Total

1 million

Mexican

710,190

Salvadoran

88,482

Honduran

39,053

Guatemalan

26,538

Puerto Rican

11,846

Colombian

11,775

Cuban

8,704

Source: US Census Bureau

number of Guatemalan immigrants moving
into Houston.
"We introduced Guatemalan bread
when we opened our store No. 9, and now
we have that bread at all locations," he says.
Another recent success story is colorful
gelatin, which is available in single-size cups
and 9-inch rounds.
"We sell a lot of gelatins in the summer,"
Duque says. "The more vivid colors attract
a lot of customers nowadays."
BakeMark plays an instrumental role
in helping Tierra Caliente maintain
innovation in product development.
"BakeMark has been a partner with us since
our beginning," Duque says. "Their service
is perfect. We work together to grow the
business, which is a win-win for everybody."
The co-owners of this fast-growing bakery
business believe that no matter how big they
become, they will always be judged most of
all on the quality of their products and the
service they provide on a consistent basis.
"There are no cutting corners," Duque
says. "If we cannot provide the same quality
products from bakery No. 1 to No. 9, we
will not continue to grow. We try to do
better all the time, every day."

JUNE 19

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PANADERĺA

47
5/24/2019 11:30:13 AM
bake - June 2019

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