bake - September/October 2024 - 14

Porto's Bakery &
Cafe prides itself
on exceptional customer
service.
Porto's Bakery has always offered pre-ordering. Now
customers can place orders directly into the POS automatically
and can even change their orders up to a
certain amount of time.
" We have come a long way, " Porto says. " The savings
are great, and you can provide much better customer
service. Online ordering is super easy, and we continue
to prioritize the walk-in customer. We are seeing the
benefits everywhere. "
And there's another huge bonus.
" Third-party helps us march into a different customer
base. It has expanded our distribution
reach, which is a very
good thing, " Porto explains.
Now, customers who live
40 minutes away from one of
Porto's locations in Southern
California have no problem
ordering online.
" Anytime you can get your
product in front of a customer
who hasn't had your product
before is a very good thing, "
Porto says. " We actually get
a ton of traffic now from
customers who are visiting
Southern California. "
Porto says they plan to open
their seventh retail location - in Downtown Disney -
this year, and they are exploring additional locations
further out.
Strength of family
The Porto family is synonymous with bringing incredible
bakery products and authentic flavors to their community
and building success with a strong work ethic and true
entrepreneurial spirit.
In May 2024, Raul Porto Sr., the patriarch and
14 < SEP-OCT 2024 | bakemag.com
co-founder of Porto's, died at the age of 92. Rosa Porto
died in 2019 at the age of 89. Rosa and Raul Sr. are
survived by generations of Portos, including multiple
grandchildren. Their three children - Beatriz, Raul Jr. and
Margarita - all grew up helping in their parents' bakery
operation, then went on to run the business themselves.
When Rosa and Raul Sr. first arrived in California, they
had only the clothes on their backs. Raul Sr.'s strong work
ethic, Rosa's exceptional baking skills, and a dream for a
better life contributed to their success. Soon after, Rosa
began baking and selling cakes to friends and family that
had heard of her fabulous cakes back in Cuba.
Within a couple of years, it was not uncommon to see
a line of customers picking up cakes from Rosa's small
home. In 1976, Rosa opened her first official storefront,
Porto's Bakery, on Sunset Boulevard in the Los Angeles
neighborhood of Echo Park.
Raul Sr. helped out when not working at another local
bakery, and after several years, he was able to join Rosa
to continue to grow the business. Their kids helped at the
bakery after school and on weekends. They witnessed
their mother's passion for baking and cooking firsthand,
which inspired them to carry on their mother's legacy.
After graduating from college, the siblings took on more
significant roles within the business.
Rosa's Cuban cakes and pastries were soon accompanied
by its signature Cheese Rolls®, Refugiados®(Guava
and Cheese Strudels), and its famous Potato Ball®, among
many other international sweets and savory items. Rosa
Porto passed away in 2019, but her children and grandchildren
work alongside a talented and dedicated team
to carry on Porto's tradition and Rosa's legacy.
Porto's took the number one spot on " Yelp's Top 100
Places to Eat in the US. " In 2021 it was voted Best Bakery
in the Southland, according to the Los Angeles Times. Just
as Porto's Bakery started in Rosa's home back in Cuba, with
Porto's Bake at Home, they now ship their most popular
pastries and cakes nationwide directly to consumers.
BRIAN FEINZIMER/PORTO'S
http://www.bakemag.com
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