Artisan bread continues to make headway as an important category that is vital to the success of any bakery in America.
Mexican artisan breads are a specialty at Alicia’s Panadería in West Valley, Utah, where the trailblazing bakery is heavily influenced by the textures and flavors from Mexico City.
“We have a very position customer reaction,” shares Ezequiel Martinez, who runs family-owned Alicia’s with his wife, Evelyn, daughter, Alicia, and son, Erick.
First started in 2004, the family business opened a new location in West Valley in February 2024. Alicia’s Panadería produces large conchas, bolillos, assorted pan dulce, cuernitos, and specialty breads.
“We make the best conchas. They are just delicious,” says Alicia. “They are always soft – like a cloud.”
At Panadería Memos in Orem, Utah, the style of their authentic bread traces back to Michoacan, Mexico. The bakery’s owner Guillermo “Memo” Carbajal worked for several notable Mexican bakeries in Salinas, California, prior to moving to Utah in 2020 where he opened his own bakery.
“We opened in October 2020 and now have a second location in Sandy, Utah, that opened in September 2024,” he explains.
As the first of January approaches, when traditional rosca de reyes is a specialty, Panadería Memos gears up for this important holiday several months in advance. They order boxes three months in advance and start the multi-day production process on January 3.
“On January 3, that’s when we start mixing for the bread, so we are certain to have enough,” Carbajal explains. “On days five and six, we make the most – so everything is fresh. Last year, we sold 1,500 pieces of rosca in less than a week.”
Esperanza Bakery, which opened in November 2023, also produces rosca de reyes for the January 6 occasion – which dates back to the tradition of eating bread 12 days after Christmas based on beliefs in the Christian faith.
“We do the traditional rosca, and we do the filling with the same toppings (cinnamon and more) also on the inside,” explains Jose Rangel of Esperanza Bakery.
